MANUAL 


OF  THE 

General  Assembly 

OF  THE 

Presbyterian  Church 

IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 


1922 


OFFICERS  AND  AGENCIES 

OP  THE 

GENERAL  ASSEMBLY 


I.  THE  MODERATOR. 

Moderator  and  Chairman  Executive  Commission — Rev.  Henry  C. 
Swearingen,  D.D.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

II.  THE  STATED  CLERK. 

Stated  Clerk  and  Secretary  Executive  Commission — Rev.  Lewis 
S.  Mudge,  D.D.,  Room  514,  Witherspoon  Building,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa. 

HI.  THE  TREASURER. 

Land  Title  and  Trust  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

IV.  PERMANENT  CLERK  EMERITUS. 

Rev.  Edward  Leroy  Warren,  D.D.,  Louisville,  Ky. 

V.  THE  TRUSTEES. 

President— Mr.  George  Stevenson. 

Corresponding  Secretary — Rev.  Alexander  Henry,  D.D. 

Office — 410  Witherspoon  Building,  1319  Walnut  Street,  Phila¬ 
delphia,  Pa. 

VI.  THE  BOARDS. 

1.  Home  Missions, 

President — Rev.  Wilton  Merle-Smith,  D.D. 

General  Secretary — Rev.  John  A.  Marquis.  D.D.,  LL-D. 
Secretaries — Rev.  Baxter  P.  Fullerton,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Rev. 
William  R.  King,  D.D.,  Rev.  John  McDowell,  D.D.,  and 
William  R.  Patterson,  Ph.D.  (Fin.  Sec.) 

Treasurer — Mr.  Varian  Banks. 

Office — -Presbyterian  Building,  156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

2.  Woman’s  Board  of  Home  Missions. 

President — Mrs.  F.  S.  Bennett. 

General  Secretary — Miss  Lucy  H.  Dawson. 

Treasurer — Miss  Mary  W.  Torrence. 

Office — Presbyterian  Building,  156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York  City. 

3.  Foreign  Missions. 

President — Rev.  George  Alexander,  D.D. 

Corresponding  Secretaries — Dr.  Robert  F.  Speer,  Rev.  Arthur 
J.  Brown,  D.D.*  LL-D.,  Rev.  Stanley  White,  D.D.,  Rev. 
George  T.  Scott,  Rev.  William  P.  Schell. 

Treasurer — Mr.  Dwight  H.  Day. 

Associate  Treasurer — Rev.  Russell  Carter. 

Office — Presbyterian  Building,  156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


MANUAL 

OF  THE 

General  Assembly 

OF  THE 

Presbyterian  Church 

IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 


1  34th  General  Assembly 

1922 


Issued  from  the  Office  of  the  Generae  Assembly. 


EDITED  BY  THE  STATED  CLERK. 


PHILADELPHIA 

Press  of  James  M.  Armstrong,  718  Sansom  Street 

1922 


OFFICERS 


Moderator: 

Rev.  Henry  Chapman  Swearingen^  D.D. 

V  ice-Moderator : 

Nathan  G.  Moore,  Esq. 

Stated  Clerk 

Rev.  Lewis  Seymour  Mudge,  D.D. 

Treasurer: 

The  Land  Title  and  Trust  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Permanent  Clerk  Emeritus: 

Rev.  Edward  Leroy  Warren,  D.D. 


PREFACE. 


The  preparation  of  this  Manual  was  originally 
ordered  by  the  General  Assembly  of  1893.  It  is 
intended  as  an  aid  to  Commissioners,  and  to 
others  connected  with  the  Assembly,  in  the  trans¬ 
action  of  business,  and  it  contains  a  summary 

t 

of  the  constitutional  provisions,  the  law,  and  the 
usages  and  regulations  of'  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.,  so  far  as  connected  with 
the  character,  organization  and  work  of  its  Su¬ 
preme  Judicatory.  The  Manual  was  approved 
in  1894,  and  a  new  edition  has  been  ordered  by 
each  subsequent  Assembly. 

LEWIS  S.  MUDGE,  . 

Stated  Clerk. 


(3) 


PAGE 


CONTENTS. 


I.  General  Constitutional  Provisions  : 

Confession  of  Faith,  Chap.  XXXI,  etc.. . .  5 

Amendments  to  Constitution .  5 

II.  The  Commissions: 

The  Executive  Commission .  7 

The  Judicial  Commission .  16 

III.  Officers  of  the  Assembly: 

The  Moderator  .  22 

The  Vice-Moderator  .  27 

The  Stated  Clerk .  28 

The  Treasurer .  32 

The  Trustees  .  33 

IV.  Members  of  the  Assembly  : 

Commissioners  .  36 

Advisory  Members .  40 

Corresponding  Members  .  41 

V.  Committees: 

Standing  Committees  .  42 

Special  Committees  and  Commissions....  63 

VI.  Agencies  of  the  Assembly: 

Boards  and  Permanent  Committees .  74 

Theological  Seminaries .  76 

VII.  Financial  System .  78 

VIII.  Miscellaneous  Subjects .  84 

IX.  Affiliated  Religious  Bodies .  88 

X.  General  Rules  for  Judicatories .  93 

XI.  Additional  Legislative  Rules .  106 

XII.  Index  .  114 


(4) 


I.  General  Constitutional 
Provisions 

These  will  be  found  in  The  Confession  of 
Faith,  Chapter  XXXI,  Sections  I,  II,  III,  IV,  and 
in  The  Form  of  Government,  Chapter  VIII,  Sec¬ 
tions  I  and  II ;  Chapter  XI,  Section  IV ;  and 
Chapter  XII,  Sections  I,  II,  III,  IV,  V,  VI,  VII 
and  VIII. 

Also  in  The  Form  of  Government,  Chapter 
XXIV,  Sections  I  and  VII,  relating  to  amend¬ 
ments  to  The  Constitution  of  The  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

Act  of  the  General  Assembly  on  the  Method 

of  Adopting  and  Declaring  Amendments 
to  the  Constitution. 

Resolved,  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Stated  Clerk  to  present  to  the  General  Assembly 
next  ensuing  any  Assembly  which  has  sent  down 
an  Overture,  the  written  answers  to  said  Overture 
which  may  have  been  received  by  him  from  the 
presbyteries.  And  thereupon,  such  statement 
from  the  Clerk,  together  with  the  written  answers 
to  said  Overture,  shall  be  referred  by  the  As¬ 
sembly  to  a  Committee  of  Canvass,  to  be  com¬ 
posed  of  three  ministers  and  two  elders,  Commis¬ 
sioners  to  said  Assembly. 

And,  upon  the  report  of  such  Committee,  that 
after  canvassing  the  written  answers  of  the  pres- 

(s) 


6  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

byteries  to  any  Overture  or  Overtures,  amending 
or  altering  the  Form  of  Government,  the  Book  of 
Discipline,  or  the  Directory  for  Worship,  it  ap¬ 
pears  that  it  has  been  approved  in  writing  by  a 
majority  of  the  presbyteries,  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly  shall  by  resolution  declare  such  amendment  or 
alteration  to  have  been  adopted,  as  a  part  of  the 
Form  of  Government,  Book  of  Discipline,  or 
Directory  for  Worship  (as  the  case  may  be)  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America. 

And  further,  upon  the  report  of  such  Com¬ 
mittee,  that,  after  canvassing  the  written  answers 
of  the  presbyteries  to  any  Overture  proposing  to 
amend  or  alter  the  Confession  of  Faith  or  the 
Larger  or  Shorter  Catechism,  it  appears  that  it 
has  been  approved  in  writing  by  two-thirds  of  the 
Presbyteries,  the  General  Assembly  shall  proceed 
to  take  such  action  concerning  said  proposed 
amendment  or  alteration  as  may  seem  expedient 
— under  Sec.  4  of  said  Chap,  xxiv  of  the  Form 
of  Government,  concerning  Amendments — which 
requires  said  amendment  or  alteration  to  be  agreed 
to  and  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly,  before 
it  becomes  a  part  of  the  Confession  of  Faith,  or 
the  Larger  or  Shorter  Catechism  of  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America 
[“Minutes,”  1891,  p.  142]. 


II.  The  Commissions 


I.  THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMISSION 

I.  Constitutional  Provisions. 

See  Form  of  Government,  Chapter  XII,  Sec¬ 
tion  IV;  Chapter  XXVI,  Section  I,  IV,  VII,  IX. 

II.  The  Acts  of  the  General  Assembly. 

a.  Membership. 

1.  The  Executive  Commission  shall  be  com¬ 
posed  of  eight  ministers  and  seven  ruling  elders. 
The  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  shall 
be  one  of  the  ministerial  members  of  the  class 
elected  by  the  General  Assembly  which  shall  elect 
him  as  Moderator.  ( Minutes ,  1908,  p.  156.) 

2.  The  members  are  entitled  to  the  floor  at 
meetings  of  the  Assembly,  during  their  terms  of 
office,  to  speak  on  matters  connected  with,  or 
arising  out  of,  the  Annual  Report  of  such  Com¬ 
mission,  but  shall  have  no  right  to  vote  unless  they 
be  also  Commissioners.  ( Minutes ,  1910,  p.  70.) 

3.  The  following  action  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission  was  approved  by  the  General  Assembly. 

“It  was  ordered  that  it  is  the  sense  of  the 
Executive  Commission,  that  when  a  member  of 
the  Commission  accepts  membership  on  a  Board 
of  the  Church,  or  accepts  an  election  as  secretary 
or  other  paid  agent  of  a  Board,  his  membership 

(7) 


8  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

in  the  Executive  Commission  ceases  automat¬ 
ically.”  ( Minutes ,  1914,  p.  188.) 

b.  Election  of  Members. 

1.  The  election  of  the  class  of  members  of  the 
Executive  Commission  whose  term  expires  at  an 
Assembly  shall  take  place  on  the  second  Thurs¬ 
day  of  the  Assembly’s  session;  that  the  nomina¬ 
tions  be  made  by  a  Special  Committee  of  twenty- 
three  members,  eleven  ministers  and  eleven  elders, 
together  with  the  Moderator;  the  twenty-two 
ministers  and  elders  to  represent  the  twenty-two 
electing  sections,  and  to  be  appointed  as  follows : 
on  odd-numbered  years  each  odd-numbered  sec¬ 
tion  shall  elect  one  minister,  and  each  even-num¬ 
bered  section  shall  elect  one  elder ;  but  on  the 
even-numbered  years  the  order  shall  be  reversed. 
The  members  of  the  Special  Committee  shall  be 
elected  by  the  respective  Electing  Sections  im¬ 
mediately  after  the  election  of  the  members  of 
the  Standing  Committees.  And  no  person  who 
has  served  a  full  term  of  three  years  on  the  Exec¬ 
utive  Commission  shall  be  eligible  for  reelection 
until  another  full  term  of  three  years  has  inter¬ 
vened.  ( Minutes ,  1909,  p.  99;  1912,  p.  79.) 

2.  Hereafter  it  be  a  rule  of  the  Assembly  that 
when  members  of  the  Executive  Commission  are 
absent  from  three  consecutive  meetings,  their 
places  become  automatically  vacant.  ( Minutes , 
igi9,  p.  245.) 

3.  Appointments  by  the  Moderator  to  fill  va¬ 
cancies  in  the  Executive  Commission  shall  be 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMISSION. 


9 


valid  only  until  the  next  succeeding  Assembly, 
which  shall  then  fill  the  vacancies  by  election. 
( Minutes ,  1921,  p.  185,  Standing  Rule.) 

4.  With  the  exception  of  the  Moderator  of  the 
General  Assembly,  no  one  shall  be  eligible  to 
serve  on  the  Executive  Commission,  either  by 
appointment  or  election,  or  both,  for  more  than 
four  years  in  succession,  until  one  full  term  of 
three  years  shall  have  intervened.  ( Minutes , 
1921,  p.  185,  Standing  Rule.) 

c.  Officers  and  Meetings. 

The  Officers  of  the  Commission  are  the  Chair¬ 
man  and  the  Secretary,  and  these  are,  respect¬ 
ively,  the  Moderator  and  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the 
General  Assembly. 

The  Commission  meets  on  its  own  appointment 
and  adjournment  and  at  the  call  of  the  Assembly ; 
and  it  may  be  authorized  to  meet  in  connection 
with  the  annual  meetings  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly. 

d.  Powers  as  Voted  by  Different  General 

Assemblies. 

1.  The  Executive  Commission  presented  the 
following,  which  was  adopted. 

The  Executive  Commission  respectfully  re¬ 
quests  that  the  General  Assembly  vote  to  it 
the  general  powers  indicated  in  Chapter  XXVI, 
Section  7,  of  the  Form  of  Government,  and  as 
follows:  to  correspond  with  the  Executive  Com¬ 
missions  of  Presbytery  and  Synod ;  to  confer  with 


IO  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

and  advise  the  permanent  benevolent  and  mis¬ 
sionary  agencies  of  the  Church ;  to  prepare  and 
submit  annually  to  the  General  Assembly  the 
Budget  for  such  benevolent  and  missionary 
agencies;  and  to  consider,  between  annual  meet¬ 
ings  of  the  General  Assembly,  cases  of  serious 
embarrassment  or  emergency  concerning  the 
benevolent  and  missionary  work  of  the  Church, 
when  requested  by  a  Board,  and  to  provide  direct 
methods  of  relief.  Also  the  power  to  take  steps 
to  harmonize  and  unify  the  benevolent  and 
missionary  work  of  the  Church,  as  indicated  in 
Chapter  XXVI  of  the  Form  of  Government, 
Section  7. 

The  Commission  further  requests  the  Assembly 
to  authorize  it  to  meet  at  the  annual  meetings 
of  the  General  Assembly.  ( Minutes ,  1917,  p.  223.) 

2.  The  Commission  has  no  power  or  authority 
except  such  as  has  been  expressly  conferred  upon 
it  by  the  General  Assembly. 

3.  The  General  Assembly  has  not  conferred 
upon  the  Commission  any  authority  to  interfere 
with  the  purely  administrative  work  of  the 
Boards  and  kindred  agencies  of  the  Church, 
except  as  to  a  few  exceptional  matters  as  to 
which  such  authority  has  been  specially  conferred 
by  the  General  Assembly.  ( Minutes ,  1913,  p. 
192.) 

e.  Committee  on  Supplies. 

The  following  was  adopted : 

That  a  Committee  on  Supplies  be  appointed, 
consisting  of  three  persons: 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMISSION. 


II 


(a)  A  representative  from  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission. 

(b)  A  representative  from  the  Boards  and 
Agencies  of  the  Church. 

(c)  A  business  man  from  the  membership  of 
the  Church. 

The  Committee  shall  be  appointed  by  the 
Executive  Commission  at  its  first  meeting  follow¬ 
ing  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  and 
shall  be  subject  to  the  control  of  the  Executive 
Commission.  It  shall  have  the  responsibility  of 
determining  the  prices  and  purchases  of  all  office 
supplies  for  all  the  Boards  and  Agencies  of  the 
Church,  and  for  the  office  of  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly.  ( Minutes ,  1913,  p.  195.) 

f.  References  of  Recommendations  in  Reports 
of  Standing  Committees. 

Resolved,  That  all  recommendations  as  to  the 
amounts  of  money  to  be  raised  by  the  churches 
for  benevolent  and  missionary  work,  made  by 
Standing  Committees  upon  the  causes  represented 
by  Boards  and  Permanent  Committees,  be 
referred  to  the  Executive  Commission,  to  be 
reported  back  to  the  sitting  General  Assembly, 
together  with  recommendations. 

Resolved,  That  all  recommendations  made  to  a 
given  Assembly  as  to  the  policy  of  any  of  the 
Boards  in  connection  with  the  raising  of  funds  or 
plans  for  new  work,  as  they  may  affect  the  Bud¬ 
get,  be  referred  to  the  Executive  Commission,  to 


12  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

report  upon  to  the  sitting  Assembly,  with  its 
recommendations.  ( Minutes ,  1909,  p.  99.) 

g.  Provisions  for  the  Budget. 

Assembly  of  1908: 

The  Executive  Commission  is  authorized  by 
the  Assembly  to  act  as  to  the  Annual  Budget  as 
stated  hereinafter. 

1.  To  receive  and  consider  the  financial  reports 
of  the  several  Boards  and  Permanent  Agencies  of 
the  Church,  and  such  other  related  information 
as  it  may  deem  desirable,  and  report  thereon  to 
the  Assembly. 

2.  To  prepare  a  tentative  budget  for  the  fiscal 
year  next  ensuing  the  meeting  of  the  General 
Assembly  at  which  the  budget  is  presented,  con¬ 
taining  in  separate  items  the  aggregate  sum  rec¬ 
ommended  for  each  Board  and  Permanent 
Agency  for  such  year,  and  to  prepare  a  tentative 
apportionment  of  each  such  aggregate  sum  among 
the  several  Presbyteries.  When  adopted  by  the 
General  Assembly,  a  copy  thereof  shall  be 
promptly  transmitted  by  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the 
General  Assembly  to  the  Executive  Commission 
and  to  each  Board  and  Presbytery.  Each 
Presbytery  shall  be  free  to  raise  its  apportion¬ 
ment  in  such  manner  as  it  may  deem  expedient ; 
always  giving  due  effect,  however,  to  the  wishes 
of  individuals  and  organizations  in  gifts  to  any 
particular  Board. 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMISSION. 


13 


3.  To  confer  with  the  Boards  and  Permanent 
Agencies  concerning  methods  for  securing  moneys 
so  apportioned,  to  determine  upon  its  methods, 
and  to  have  general  oversight  of  the  execution  of 
such  methods  by  its  own  agents,  in  cooperation 
with  the  Boards  and  Permanent  Agencies. 

4.  To  obtain  and  collate  facts  concerning  the 
benevolent  and  missionary  work  of  the  Presby¬ 
teries  and  Synods  of  the  Church,  and  of  our 
Boards  and  other  agencies,  and  of  voluntary 
missionary  agencies  of  an  interdenominational 
character,  and  to  report  the  same,  with  such 
recommendations  as  it  may  deem  proper,  to  the 
General  Assembly.  ( Minutes ,  1908,  p.  156.) 

Assembly  of  1909: 

5.  To  inquire  into  the  methods  of  work  of  the 
Boards  and  Permanent  Committees  of  the  Assem¬ 
bly  of  the  Church,  and  to  recommend  such 
changes  in  their  methods  as  it  may  deem  neces¬ 
sary  to  promote  efficient  administration  of  the 
Budget  Plan. 

6.  To  advise  the  Boards  and  Permanent  Com¬ 
mittees  of  the  Assembly  of  the  Church  in  the 
adoption  of  plans  for  harmonizing  and  unifying 
the  benevolent  and  missionary  work  of  the 
Church,  and  to  recommend  to  the  General 
Assembly,  at  any  of  its  annual  meetings,  for  its 
adoption,  such  acts,  rules  and  resolutions  as  in 
its  judgment  will  increase  the  general  efficiency 
of  such  benevolent  and  missionary  work. 
( Minutes ,  1909,  p.  236.) 


14  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Assembly  of  ign: 

7.  The  purposes  to  be  kept  in  view  are :  first, 
the  efficient  prosecution  of  efforts  to  commend 
the  adoption  of  an  every-member- weekly-pledge 
system  of  securing  benevolent  offerings  from  the 
churches,  and  to  extend  such  aid  as  may  be 
desired  and  practicable  to  pastors  and  church 
officers  who  wish  to  have  the  system  inaugurated ; 
second,  to  promote  the  realization  of  the  appro¬ 
priations  annually  made  by  the  General  Assembly 
and  apportioned  to  the  Presbyteries,  by  such 
methods  as  have  heretofore  been  effective  and  by 
such  other  methods  as,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  may  give  promise  of 
effectiveness ;  and,  third,  to  promote,  as  far  as 

m 

may  be  possible,  a  spirit  of  the  broadest  mission¬ 
ary  interest,  and  of  such  consecrated  and  cour¬ 
ageous  giving  as  shall  enable  the  Church  to  meet 
its  full  missionary  duty  at  home  and  abroad. 

8.  In  carrying  on  this  campaign,  the  essential 
features  of  the  pledge  system  which  shall  be 
adopted  shall  accord  with  the  provisions  of  the 
Directory  for  Worship,  Chapter  VI,  Section  3, 
in  that  it  gives  to  each  subscriber  to  the  weekly 
amounts,  the  opportunity  of  designating  how  his 
gifts  shall  be  distributed  among  the  Boards  of 
the  Church  and  benevolent  causes. 

9.  It  is  also  understood  that  each  Board  is 
expected  to  put  forth  information  concerning  its 
own  work,  and  to  carry  on  educational  and  in¬ 
spirational  work  to  cultivate  interest  in  its  cause 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMISSION. 


15 


as  one  part  of  the  great  work  of  evangelization 
that  God  has  committed  to  onr  Church,  and 
public  addresses  in  behalf  of  any  one  of  these 
causes  shall  not  be  regarded  as  inconsistent  with 
loyalty  to  this  joint  effort. 

10.  That  the  General  Assembly  approve  of 
the  Boards’  providing  for  the  expenses  of  the 
above  campaign,  the  total  amount  and  the  pro 
rata  distribution  to  the  several  Boards  to  be 
determined  by  the  Executive  Commission,  after 
conference  with  the  Boards.  ( Minutes ,  1911, 
pp.  177, 178.) 

i.  Official  Conference  with  the  Boards. 

“There  shall  be  an  Official  Conference  of  rep¬ 
resentatives  of  the  Boards  and  the  Executive 
Commission,  which  shall  meet  at  least  once  a 
year  and  at  such  other  times  as  the  Executive 
Commission  may  order.  Said  Official  Conference 
shall  be  composed  of  representatives  from  each 
of  the  Boards,  to  be  selected  by  the  respective 
Boards,  who  shall  constitute  one  party.  The 
Executive  Commission  shall  select,  through  its 
Budget  Committee  or  other  Committees,  repre¬ 
sentatives,  who  shall  constitute  the  other  party. 
In  deliberation,  the  voting  shall  be  by  the  repre¬ 
sentatives  present ;  but  when  called  for,  the 
Boards  shall  vote  as  units  and  the  Commission 
as  a  unit,  or  the  Boards  and  the  Commission  shall 
vote  and  agree  or  disagree  as  the  two  parties.” 
( Minutes ,  1915,  p.  278.) 


1 6  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Executive  Commission. 

Members  and  officers  of  the  Assembly’s  Execu¬ 
tive  Commission  are  as  follows : 

1919- 1922 — Rev.  Joseph  M.  Broady,  D.D., 
Birmingham,  Ala. ;  Rev.  Sherman  L.  Divine, 
D.D.,  Spokane,  Wash. ;  Mr.  Thomas  D.  Mc- 
Closkey,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. ;  Thomas  E.  D.  Bradley. 
Esq.,  Chicago,  Ill.;  Hon.  Robert  Lansing,  Wash¬ 
ington,  D.  C. 

1920- 1923 — Rev.  Giles  H.  Hogan,  D.D.,  Waxa- 
hachie,  Texas;  Rev.  Samuel  S.  Palmer,  D.D., 
Columbus,  Ohio;  Rev.  George  B.  Stewart,  D.D., 
Auburn,  N.  Y. ;  Hon.  H.  H.  Seldomridge,  Colo¬ 
rado  Springs,  Colo. ;  Mr.  George  W.  Sutherland, 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1921- 1924 — Rev.  Henry  C.  Swearingen,  D.D., 
St.  Paul,  Minn;  Rev.  Hugh  K.  Walker,  D.D. ; 
Rev.  Louis  B.  Crane,  D.D.,  Elizabeth,  N.  J. ;  Mr. 
J.  Willison  Smith,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Mr.  Harri¬ 
son  B.  Smith,  Charleston,  W.  Va. 

Moderator  and  Chairman,  Rev.  Henry  C. 
Swearingen,  D.D. 

Stated  Clerk  and  Secretary,  Rev.  Lewis  S. 
Mudge,  D.D. 

II.  JUDICIAL  COMMISSION. 

I.  Constitutional  Provisions. 

See  Book  of  Discipline,  Sections  125- 134,  136. 

A  Review  in  Judicial  Cases. 

i.  A  review,  by  the  General  Assembly,  of  a 
judicial  case  heard  by  the  Commission,  consists 


THE  JUDICIAL  COMMISSION.  Ij 

in  a  hearing  and  consideration,  by  the  Assembly, 
of  the  record,  including  the  evidence,  returned  by 
the  inferior  judiciary,  and  the  hearing  of  the 
parties,  after  the  Assembly  has  been  duly  con¬ 
stituted  as  a  court.  ( Book  of  Discipline ,  Chap¬ 
ter  9,  Sec.  99.) 

2.  Whenever  the  Assembly  shall  desire  to 
adopt  the  finding  of  the  Commission  without  re¬ 
viewing  the  case,  the  form  of  the  order  shall  be 
as  follows : 

The  Assembly,  having  heard  the  report  of  the 
Commission,  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  pre¬ 
liminary  judgment  of  the  Permanent  Judicial 
Commission  in  this  case  be  recorded  as  the  final 
judgment  of  the  General  Assembly. 

II.  The  Acts  of  the  General  Assembly. 

Election. — The  nomination  and  election  of 
members  of  the  Permanent  Judicial  Commission 
of  the  General  Assembly  shall  begin  on  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  Tuesday,  the  fifth  day  (9.25  A.  M.),  as 
the  first  Order  of  the  Day,  in  the  following  man¬ 
ner  : 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Judicial  Committee 
of  the  General  Assembly  to  report  to  the  Assem¬ 
bly,  on  Tuesday,  the  fifth  day,  suitable  nomina¬ 
tions  to  fill  the  vacancies  on  the  Permanent 
Judicial  Commission  of  the  General  Assembly, 
from  which  nominations,  together  with  any  others 
regularly  made  by  the  Commissioners  at  the  same 
time  as  those  made  by  the  Judicial  Committee,  the 
necessary  number  of  persons  shall  be  elected,  on 


l8  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Thursday,  the  seventh  day,  as  the  first  Order  of 
the  Day,  9.20  A.  M.  ( Standing  Rule.) 

Notices. — Whenever  a  case  is  to  be  taken  from 
an  inferior  judiciary  to  the  General  Assembly, 
the  Stated  Clerk  of  such  inferior  judicatory  shall, 
at  least  twenty  days  before  the  meeting  of  the 
General  Assembly,  send  a  notice  concerning  such 
case  to  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Assembly,  who 
shall  forthwith  notify  the  Chairman  of  the  Per¬ 
manent  Judicial  Commission,  unless  the  General 
Assembly  shall  have  ordered  otherwise,  that  the 
services  of  the  Commission  will  be  needed  at  the 
approaching  Assembly ;  but  if  no  such  notice  shall 
be  received  by  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  General 
Assembly,  he  shall  forthwith  notify  the  Chairman 
of  the  Permanent  Judicial  Commission  that  the 
services  of  the  Commission  will  not  be  needed  at 
the  approaching  Assembly.  (General  Rules  for 
Judicatories,  44.) 

Procedure. — The  Permanent  Judicial  Commis¬ 
sion  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  have  authority 
to  adopt  rules  pertaining  to  its  own  method  of 
procedure,  and  shall  report  the  same  to  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly ;  provided,  that  such  rules  shall  not 
be  inconsistent  with  the  Constitution  of  the 
Church  or  the  rules  adopted  by  the  General  As¬ 
sembly.  ( Standing  Rule.) 

In  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the 
Constitution,  the  Permanent  Judicial  Commission 
reported  to  the  General  Assembly  the  following 
rules  of  procedure,  which  were  adopted. 


THE  JUDICIAL  COMMISSION. 


*9 


1.  The  General  Rules  for  Judicatories,  as  far 
as  applicable. 

2.  Vice-Moderator. — In  addition  to  a  Modera¬ 
tor  and  Clerk,  the  Commission  shall  elect,  an¬ 
nually,  a  Vice-Moderator,  who  shall  act  as 
Moderator  in  the  event  of  the  death,  disability, 
resignation  or  absence  of  the  Moderator,  or  of 
the  termination  of  his  commissionership ;  and  he 
shall  hold  office  until  the  election  of  his  successor. 

The  Vice-Moderator  shall  be  a  member  of  the 
Commission,  whose  term  expires  at  a  period  not 
less  than  two  years  from  the  date  of  his  election. 

3.  Clerk. — 111  the  event  of  the  death,  disability, 
resignation  or  absence  of  the  Clerk,  or  the  termi¬ 
nation  of  his  commissionership,  the  Moderator 
shall  appoint  a  Clerk  pro  tem.,  to  serve  in  the 
interim  of  the  meetings  of  the  Commission. 

4.  When  the  Moderator  receives  notice  from 
the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  General  Assembly  that  the 
services  of  the  Commission  will  be  needed  at  any 
time  or  place,  he  shall  forthwith  notify  each 
member  of  the  Commission  that  the  services  of 
the  Commission  will  be  required  at  such  meeting. 

5.  The  Commission,  when  so  ordered,  shall 
meet  at  the  same  time  and  place  with  the  General 
Assembly,  and  shall  convene  for  organization  at 
5  o'clock  P.  M.  of  the  first  day  of  the  meeting  of 
the  General  Assembly.  The  time  and  place  of  all 
other  meetings  shall  be  determined  by  the  Moder¬ 
ator  and  the  Clerk  of  the  Commission,  unless 
otherwise  ordered  by  the  Commission  or  the 
General  Assembly. 


20  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

6.  Immediately  after  the  organization  of  the 
Commission,  at  any  meeting  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly,  the  fact  shall  be  reported  to  the  General 
Assembly,  and  at  the  same  time  a  report  shall  be 
made  as  to  vacancies  existing  or  about  to  occur, 
caused  either  by  the  expiration  of  the  term  for 
which  members  were  elected  or  by  death  or  resig¬ 
nation,  for  reference  to  the  Committee  on  Judicial 
Business,  according  to  the  Constitution. 

7.  The  officers  of  this  Commission  shall  be 
elected,  annually,  on  Tuesday,  the  fifth  day  of 
the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  at  3  o’clock 
P.  M.,  and  such  officers  shall  assume  the  duties 
of  their  several  offices  upon  the  final  adjournment 
of  the  General  Assembly,  serving  in  the  interim 
between  meetings  of  the  General  Assembly  and 
until  final  adjournment  of  the  next  succeeding 
General  Assembly. 

8. -  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Moderator,  or 
some  one  designated  by  him,  to  appear  before  the 
General  Assembly  to  present  the  findings  of  the 
Commission  in  cases  referred  to  it  by  the  General 
Assembly. 

9.  The  Commission  shall  designate  a  member 
or  members  to  represent  it  in  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly  to  defend  any  action  or  finding  of  the  Com¬ 
mission. 

10.  The  Commission  shall  set  a  time  limit  for 
arguments  of  such  litigants  and  their  counsel  as 
may  appear  before  the  Commission  in  any  case, 
and  shall  so  notify  them  prior  to  the  hearing  of 
the  same. 


THE  JUDICIAL  COMMISSION. 


21 


Judicial  Commission  Members. 

Members  and  officers  of  the  commission  are  as 
follows : 

1919- 1922 — Rev.  William  C.  Covert,  D.D., 
Chicago,  Ill. ;  Rev.  Edward  A.  Krapp,  D.D.,  Mor¬ 
gantown,  W.  Va. ;  Rev.  Joseph  L.  Weaver,  D.D., 
Rocky  Ford,  Colo.;  John  L.  McNab,  Esq.,  San 
Francisco,  Calif.;  Hon.  James  P.  Goodrich,  In¬ 
dianapolis,  Ind. 

1920- 1923 — Rev.  Benjamin  M.  Gemmill,  P'h.D., 
Ivyland,  Pa. ;  Rev.  David  M.  Skilling,  D.D.,  Web¬ 
ster  Groves,  Mo. ;  Kenneth  H.  Lanning,  Esq., 
Trenton,  N.  J. ;  John  G.  Wishard,  M.D.,  Wooster, 
Ohio;  John  H.  DeWitt,  Esq.,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

1921- 1924 — Rev.  David  H.  Johnston,  D.D., 
Scranton,  Pa. ;  Rev.  W.  Oscar  Harless,  D.D., 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa;  Rev.  Jesse  Herrmann,  Ph.D,, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio ;  Mr.  Arthur  H.  Bartelt,  Mil¬ 
waukee,  Wis. ;  Mr.  Virgil  Guernsey,  Richmond 
Hill,  N.  Y. 

Moderator,  Rev.  William  C.  Covert,  D.D. 

Vice-Moderator,  Hon.  John  H.  DeWitt. 

Clerk,  Rev.  Benjamin  M.  Gemmill,  Ph.D. 


III.  Officers  of  the  Assembly 

I.  THE  MODERATOR. 

I.  The  Constitutional  Provisions. 

Form  of  Government,  Chap.  XIX. 

1.  It  is  equally  necessary  in  the  judicatories  of 
the  Church,  as  in  other  assemblies,  that  there 
should  be  a  Moderator  or  President ;  that  the  busi¬ 
ness  may  be  conducted  with  order  and  despatch. 

2.  The  Moderator  is  to  be  considered  as  pos¬ 
sessing,  by  delegation  from  the  whole  body,  all 
authority  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  order ; 
for  convening  and  adjourning  the  judicatory;  and 
directing  its  operations  according  to  the  rules  of 
the  Church.  He  is  to  propose  to  the  judicatory 
every  subject  of  deliberation  that  comes  before 
them.  He  may  propose  what  appears  to  him  the 
most  regular  and  speedy  way  of  bringing  any 
business  to  issue.  He  shall  prevent  the  members 
from  interrupting  each  other ;  and  rquire  them,  in 
speaking,  always  to  address  the  Chair.  He  shall 
prevent  a  speaker  from  deviating  from  the  sub¬ 
ject;  and  from  using  personal  reflections.  He 
shall  silence  those  who  refuse  to  obey  order.  He 
shall  prevent  members  who  attempt  to  leave  the 
judicatory  without  leave  obtained  from  him.  He 
shall,  at  a  proper  season,  when  the  deliberations 
are  ended,  put  the  question  and  call  the  votes.  If 

(22) 


THE  MODERATOR. 


23 


the  judicatory  be  equally  divided,  he  shall  possess 
the  casting  vote.  If  he  be  not  willing  to  decide, 
he  shall  put  the  question  a  second  time ;  and  if  the 
judicatory  be  again  equally  divided,  and  he  decline 
to  give  his  vote,  the  question  shall  be  lost.  In  all 
questions  he  shall  give  a  concise  and  clear  state¬ 
ment  of  the  object  of  the  vote ;  and,  the  vote  being 
taken,  shall  then  declare  how  the  question  is  de¬ 
cided.  And  he  shall  likewise  be  empowered,  on 
any  extraordinary  emergency,  to  convene  the 
judicatory,  by  his  circular  letter,  before  the  ordi¬ 
nary  time  of  meeting.  He  shall  also  serve  until 
his  successor  be  inducted  into  office,  and  may  per¬ 
form  such  administrative  duties  as  may  be  as¬ 
signed  to  him  by  the  judicatory. 

II.  The  Acts  of  the  General  Assembly. 

1.  The  election  of  the  Moderator  shall  be  ef¬ 
fected  immediately  after  the  roll-call  and  the 
organization  of  the  Electing  Sections,  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  manner,  to  wit : 

(a)  Only  one  speech  nominating  a  candidate 
for  Moderator  shall  be  made,  limited  to  ten  min¬ 
utes  ;  and  only  one  speech,  and  that  not  to  exceed 
five  minutes,  shall  be  made  in  seconding  the  nomi¬ 
nation  of  a  candidate. 

( b )  Where  there  is  only  one  nominee  for  Mod¬ 
erator  the  election  may  be  made  by  acclamation. 
Where  there  are  more  than  one,  the  election  may 
be  made  by  ballot  in  the  following  manner,  to  wit : 

After  the  nominations  are  made  (the  organiza- 


24  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

tion  of  the  Electing  Sections  having  been  ef¬ 
fected),  the  Chairman  of  each  Electing  Section 
shall  appoint  two  tellers.  Each  Commissioner  shall 
write  the  name  of  his  choice  on  a  blank,  to  be  pro¬ 
vided  in  advance  by  the  Stated  Clerk.  The  tellers 
shall  collect  the  ballots  and  count  them,  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Chairman.  The  result  shall  be 
recorded  by  the  Secretary  on  blanks  in  duplicate, 
one  of  which  shall  be  handed  to  the  Stated  Clerk, 
with  the  number  of  the  Section  written  thereupon. 
The  other  shall  be  retained  by  the  Secretary. 

(c)  When  the  reports  of  the  ballots  have  been 
handed  in  from  all  the  .Sections,  the  Stated  Clerk 
shall  read  each  aloud,  giving  the  number  of  the 
Section  and  the  vote  cast.  Tellers  appointed  by 
the  Stated  Clerk  shall  take  and  tabulate  the  votes 
as  read.  The  Moderator  shall  then  announce  the 
vote  as  tabulated.  If  no  one  has  received  a  ma¬ 
jority  of  the  whole  vote,  another  vote  shall  be 
taken  in  the  same  manner.  When  one  shall  have 
received  a  majority,  the  Moderator  shall  announce 
the  result,  and  declare  him  to  be  elected.  ( Stand¬ 
ing  Rule.) 

2.  The  Moderator  shall  take  the  chair  precisely 
at  the  appointed  hour,  call  the  members  to  order, 
and,  on  the  appearance  of  a  quorum,  shall  open 
the  session  with  prayer.  ( Rules  for  Jud.,  No.  I.) 

3.  If  a  quorum  be  assembled  at  the  time  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  the  Moderator  be  absent,  the  last 
Moderator  present,  being  a  commissioner,  or,  if 
there  be  none,  the  senior  member  present,  shall  be 
requested  to  take  his  place  without  delay,  until  a 


THE  MODERATOR. 


25 


new  election.  ( Rules  for  Jud.,  No.  2;  see,  also, 
this  Manual ,  Sec.  vii,  p.  10.) 

4.  In  choosing  a  Moderator,  any  commissioner 
may  nominate  a  candidate  for  the  chair.  The 
candidates  so  pointed  out  shall  then,  severally, 
give  their  votes  for  some  one  of  their  number, 
and  withdraw  ;  when  the  remaining  commissioners 
shall  proceed  to  choose  one  of  said  candidates  for 
Moderator.  ( Minutes ,  1791,  p.  39.) 

5.  A  majority  of  all  the  votes  given  for  Moder¬ 
ator  are  necessary  for  a  choice.  ( Minutes ,  1846, 
1887,  etc.) 

6.  When  a  Moderator  has  been  elected,  before 
he  takes  the  Chair,  the  former  Moderator  shall 
address  him  and  the  House,  in  the  following  or 
like  manner,  viz. : 

Sir:  It  is  my  duty  to  inform  you,  and  announce 
to  this  House,  that  you  are  duly  elected  to  the 
office  of  Moderator  in  this  General  Assembly. 
For  your  direction,  in  office,  and  for  the  direction 
of  this  Assembly  in  all  your  deliberations,  before 
I  leave  this  seat,  I  am  to  read*  to  you  and  this 
House  the  rules  contained  in  the  records  of  this 
Assembly,  which  I  doubt  not  will  be  carefully 
observed  by  both,  in  conducting  the  business  that 
may  come  before  you;  (here  the  Moderator  de¬ 
livers  the  Book  containing  the  rules  to  the  Mod¬ 
erator-elect,  and  afterwards  adds)  :  Now  having 
read  these  rules,  according  to  order,  for  your  in¬ 
struction  as  Moderator,  and  for  the  direction  of 


^Instead  of  reading  the  rules,  the  present  usage  is  confined  to 
the  delivery  of  the  Book  containing  them  to  the  Moderator-elect. 


26  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

all  the  members  in  the  management  of  business, 
praying  that  Almighty  God  may  direct  and  bless 
all  the  deliberations  of  this  Assembly  for  the  glory 
of  His  name,  and  for  the  edification  and  comfort 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  I  resign  my  place  and  office  as  Moder¬ 
ator.  ( Minutes ,  1791,  p.  34;  1822,  pp.  43,  44.) 

7.  The  Moderator  shall  appoint  all  committees, 
except  in  those  cases  in  which  the  judicatoryshall 
decide  otherwise.  In  appointing  the  Chairmen  of 
the  Standing  Committees,  the  Moderator  may  ap¬ 
point  a  Vice-Moderator,  who  may  occupy  the 
chair  at  his  request,  and  otherwise  assist  him  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties.  ( Rules  for  Jud.,  No. 

7-) 

8.  When  a  vote  is  taken  by  ballot  in  any  judi¬ 
catory,  the  Moderator  shall  vote  with  the  other 
members ;  but  he  shall  not  vote  in  any  other  case, 
unless  the  judicatory  be  equally  divided;  when,  if 
he  do  not  choose  to  vote,  the  question  shall  be  lost. 
(Rules  for  Jud.,  No.  8.) 

9.  The  Moderator  cannot  have  a  vote  as  com¬ 
missioner,  distinct  from  the  casting  vote.  ( Min¬ 
utes ,  1798,  p.  140.) 

10.  The  Moderator  cannot  vote  on  the  approval 
or  disapproval  of  the  records  of  the  Synod  of 
which  he  is  a  member.  (B.  of  D.,  Sec.  74.) 

11.  The  Moderator,  when  a  member  of  a  judi¬ 
catory  complained  of  or  appealed  from,  should 
withdraw  from  the  chair  during  the  hearing  of 
the  complaint  or  appeal.  The  same  rule  applies  to 


THE  MODERATOR. 


27 


him  when  he  is  a  party  to  a  case.  ( B.D. ,  Secs. 
9l>  98.) 

12.  Resolved ,  That  every  letter  or  communica¬ 
tion  addressed  to  the  Moderator  be  opened  and 
read  by  him,  and  at  his  direction  be  either  com¬ 
municated  immediately  to  the  Assembly  for  their 
decision,  or  to  the  Committee  on  Overtures,  to  be 
by  them  brought  before  the  House  in  the  ordinary 
channel.  ( Minutes ,  1794,  p.  79.) 

13.  For  the  power  of  the  Moderator  in  the 
conduct  of  business,  see  Rules  for  Jud.,  Nos.  4,  5, 

8,  14,  30,  31.  33.  34,  35,  36,  40,  43,  P-  13 7,  seq. 

14.  The  Form  to  be  used  by  the  Moderator  in 
dissolving  the  Assembly  is  as  follows : 

The  Moderator  shall  say  from  the  chair, — “By 
“virtue  of  the  authority  delegated  to  me,  by  the 
“Church,  let  this  General  Assembly  be  dissolved, 
“and  I  do  hereby  dissolve  it,  and  require  another 
“General  Assembly,  chosen  in  the  same  manner, 


“to  meet  at . . . on  the 

“ . ’ . day  of . . . A.  D.” 


— after  which  he  shall  pray  and  return  thanks, 
and  pronounce  on  those  present  the  apostolic  bene¬ 
diction. 

II.  VICE-MODERATOR. 

It  is  customary  for  the  Moderator,  at  the  time 
of  announcing  chairmen  of  Standing  Committees, 
to  appoint  a  Vice-Moderator,  whom  he  may  re¬ 
quest,  in  his  own  discretion,  to  take  the  Chair, 
and  otherwise  assist  him  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties. 


28  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

III.  THE  STATED  CLERK. 

I.  The  Constitutional  Provisions. 

See  Form  of  Government,  Chapter  XX. 

II.  The  Acts  of  the  General  Assembly. 

A  brief  summary  of  the  Acts  of  the  General 
Assembly,  with  reference  to  the  office  and  duties 
of  the  Stated  Clerk  as  found  in  “The  Minutes,” 
1789-1921,  is  as  follows: 

a.  Representative. 

He  is  the  permanent  official  representative  of 
the  General  Assembly,  and  as  such  is  in  charge 
of  the  “Office  of  the  General  Assembly.”  The 
term  of  office  is  fixed  at  five  years,  subject  to  re- 
election  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Assembly.  He 
shall  be  retired  upon  reaching  the  age  of  seventy 
with  an  annuity. 

b.  Executive. 

The  duties  of  the  Stated  Clerk  in  connection 
with 

I.  The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  are 

1.  To  make  the  general  railroad  arrangements 
for  the  transportation  of  the  Commissioners. 

2.  To  oversee  the  arrangements  for  the  enter¬ 
tainment  of  the  General  Assembly. 

3.  To  prepare  the  official  roll  of  Commissioners. 

4.  To  keep  or  cause  to  be  kept  an  accurate 
record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Assembly. 

5.  To  serve  as  a  Corresponding  member  of  the 


THE  STATED  CLERK. 


29 


Assembly  in  matters  touching  the  duties  of  his 
office. 

6.  To  supervise  the  division  of  the  Assembly 
into  and  the  organization  of  the  electing  sections 
as  provided  for  in  Standing  Rule  6,  and  to  fur¬ 
nish  them  with  all  necessary  papers  and  blanks. 

7.  To  prepare  and  submit  to  the  Assembly  the 
docket  of  business  and  under  the  direction  of 
the  Moderator  to  have  charge  of  the  same. 

8.  To  select  and  nominate  to  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  a  sufficient  number  of  competent  assis¬ 
tants  to  serve  during  the  sessions  of  the  Assembly. 

9.  To  transmit  all  overtures  sent  down  by  the 
General  Assembly  to  the  Presbyteries  and  to  re¬ 
ceive  and  submit  to  the  Assemblv  the  written 
answers  to  the  same. 

10.  To  receive  all  Memorials,  Overtures  and 
other  miscellaneous  papers  addressed  to  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly,  make  record  of  the  same,  and 
then  deliver  them,  for  distribution,  or  reference, 
to  the  Standing  Committee  on  Bills  and  Over¬ 
tures. 

A  Standing  Rule  directs  that  all  Overtures, 
Memorials  and  miscellaneous  papers  connected 
with  the  business  of  the  Assembly  must  be  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  General  Assembly  not  later  than  the 
close  of  the  second  day  of  its  sessions. 

A  Standing  Rule  directs  that,  “Hereafter,  all 
Overtures  from  Presbyteries  and  Synods,  which 
are  to  come  before  the  General  Assembly,  shall 
be,  as  far  as  practicable,  in  the  hands  of  the 
Stated  Clerk  at  least  two  weeks  before  the  meet- 


30  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

ing  of  the  Assembly,  and  by  him  shall  be  printed 
in  convenient  form  for  distribution  on  the  flooi 
of  the  Assembly,  such  distribution  to  be  made  not 
later  than  the  second  day  of  the  Assembly.” 

11.  To  transmit  all  complaints  and  appeals  di¬ 
rectly  to  the  Standing  Committee  on  Judicial 
Business. 

12.  To  report  to  the  Assembly  upon  the  necrol¬ 
ogy  of  ministers  for  the  year. 

13.  To  have  printed  and  ready  for  distribution, 
so  far  as  practicable,  on  the  morning  of  the  day 
fixed  for  their  consideration,  the  resolutions 
appended  to  the  Reports  of  Standing  Commit¬ 
tees  (Standing  Rule). 

II.  The  Regular  Routine  of  the  Office  of  the  General 

Assembly. 

1.  Submit  annually  for  the  approval  of  the  Ex¬ 
ecutive  Commission  the  budget  of  the  Office  of 
the  General  Assembly,  and  for  report  to  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly. 

2.  Select  the  necessary  office  assistants  with  the 
approval  of  the  Executive  Commission. 

3.  Conduct  the  general  correspondence  of  the 
Church. 

4.  Co-operate,  when  requested,  with  the  Spe¬ 
cial  Committees  and  Commissions  of  the  General 
Assembly  with  the  purpose  of  facilitating  and 
co-ordinating  their  work.  Receive  from  the  Spe¬ 
cial  Committees  and  Commissions  their  Minutes, 
from  time  to  time,  and  file  them  in  the  office  of 
the  General  Assembly  that  they  may  be  made  a 
part  of  the  permanent  records  of  the  Church. 


THE  STATED  CLERK. 


31 


5.  Transmit  to  and  receive  from  the  Stated 
Clerks  of  Synods  and  Presbyteries  overtures,  offi¬ 
cial  blanks,  reports  and  other  papers  as  author¬ 
ized  and  empowered. 

6.  To  act  as  the  custodian  of  all  the  books  and 
papers  of  the  General  Assembly. 

7.  To  seek  in  any  way  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  harmony  and  efficiency  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  and  of  the  Synods  and  Presbyteries,  and 
Boards  and  Agencies  thereof. 

8.  To  distribute  annually  the  bound  volume  of 
the  Reports  of  the  Boards  and  Agencies. 

III.  The  Executive  Commission. 

The  Stated  Clerk  is  the  Secretary  of  the  Execu¬ 
tive  Commission. 

IV.  The  Special  Committee  on  Christian  Life  and 

Work. 

The  Stated  Clerk  is  the  Secretary  of  the  Spe¬ 
cial  Committee  on  Christian  Life  and  Work. 

c.  Editorial. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  Stated  Clerk 

1.  To  edit  and  have  suitably  printed  and  dis¬ 
tributed  “The  Minutes  of  the  General  Assembly,” 
and  any  other  publications  directed  by  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly. 

2.  To  edit  “The  Presbyterian  Handbook.” 

3.  To  edit  “The  Constitution  of  The  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.”  (See  Act  of  the 
General  Assembly  on  the  Method  of  Adopting  or 
Declaring  Amendments  to  the  Constitution.) 

4.  To  edit  “The  Digest.” 


32  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

d.  Judicial. 

The  Stated  Clerk  is  constantly  called  upon  to 
give  opinions  about  and  interpretations  of  the 
constitutional  provisions  of  the  Church  and  the 
acts  and  deliverances  of  the  General  Assembly. 

e.  Financial. 

For  the  duties  of  the  Stated  Clerk  in  this  con¬ 
nection,  see  “Financial  System,”  Chapter  VII,  pp. 
78-83,  of  this  Manual. 

The  above  summary  relating  to  the  office  and 
duties  of  the  Stated  Clerk  is  based  upon  the 
Standing  Rules  of  the  General  Assembly  (See 
Minutes,  1921,  pp.  406-410)  ;  and  upon  the  Min- 
utes,  1789,  p.  13;  1807,  p.  377;  1884,  p.  33;  1885, 
p.  687;  1894,  p.  161 ;  1896,  pp.  118,  157;  1912, 
p.  448”;  19x5,  p.  287;  1919,  p.  296;  1920,  p.  49; 
1921,  pp.  32,  33  and  34. 

IV.  THE  TREASURER. 

The  Treasurer  of  the  General  Assembly  ap¬ 
pointed  in  1912,  by  the  Executive  Commission, 
is  the  Land  Title  and  Trust  Co.  of  Philadelphia. 
By  agreement  service  is  given  without  charge, 
and  three  per  cent,  per  annum  is  paid  on  daily 
balances.  The  expenses  of  the  Treasurer,  in¬ 
curred  in  attendance  upon  the  General  Assembly 
are  paid  by  the  Assembly.  ( Minutes ,  191 2,  p. 
218.) 

See  also  Financial  System  of  the  General 
Assembly  as  contained  in  Chapter  VII,  pp.  78-83, 
of  this  Manual. 


THE  TRUSTEES. 


33 


V.  THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE 
ASSEMBLY. 

I.  General. 

The  legal  title  of  this  Corporation  is,  “The 
Trustees  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America.” 
The  Charter  will  be  found  on  p.  334  of  the  Di¬ 
gest.  The  Corporation  reports  annually  to  the 
General  Assembly,  and  the  report  is  referred  to 
the  Standing  Committee  on  Finance.  The  num¬ 
ber  of  the  Trustees  is  eighteen,  one-third  of  whom 
may  be  elected  annually  by  the  Assembly,  in  its 
discretion.  Ordinarily,  however,  the  Assembly 
simply  elects  persons  to  fill  vacancies  in  the  Cor¬ 
poration,  the  nominations  being  made  by  the 
Standing  Committee  on  Finance,  and  the  election 
being  by  ballot.  The  ballot  is  usually  cast  in 
behalf  of  the  General  Assembly  by  the  Stated 
Clerk,  who  is  empowered  so  to  do  by  a  resolu¬ 
tion  unanimously  adopted. 

II.  Manner  of  Election  of  Trustees. 

1.  When  this  subject  is  called  up  annually  (at 
this  Assembly,  Monday,  2:35  P.  M.),  a  vote  shall 
first  be  taken  whether  for  the  current  year  the 
Assembly  will  or  will  not  make  any  election  of 
members  in  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

2.  If  an  election  be  determined  on,  the  day  on 
which  it  shall  take  place  shall  be  specified  (  for  this 
Assembly,  second  Thursday,  7.30  P.  M.),  and 
shall  not  be  within  less  than  two  days  of  the 
time  at  which  such  election  shall  be  decided  on. 


34  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

3.  When  the  clay  of  election  arrives,  the  Assem¬ 
bly  shall  ascertain  what  vacancies  in  the  number 
of  the  eighteen  Trustees  incorporated  have  taken 
place,  by  death  or  otherwise,  and  shall  first  pro¬ 
ceed  to  choose  other  members  in  their  places. 
When  this  is  accomplished,  they  shall  proceed  to 
the  trial  whether  they  will  elect  any ;  and  if  any, 
how  many  of  that  third  of  the  number  of  the 
Trustees  which  by  law  they  are  permitted  to 
change,  in  the  following  manner,  viz. :  The  list 
of  the  Trustees  shall  be  taken,  and  a  vote  be  had 
for  a  person  to  fill  the  place  of  him  who  is  first 
on  the  list.  In  voting  for  a  person  to  fill  said  place, 
the  vote  may  be  given  either  for  the  person  who 
has  before  filled  it,  or  for  any  other  person.  If 
the  majority  of  votes  shall  be  given  for  the  per¬ 
son  who  has  before  filled  it  he  shall  continue  in, 
office.  If  the  majority  of  votes  shall  be  given 
for  another  person,  this  person  is  a  Trustee,  duly 
chosen  in  place  of  the  former.  In  the  same  form 
the  Assembly  shall  proceed  with  the  list,  till  they 
have  either  changed  one-third  of  the  Trustees 
(always  including  in  the  third  those  who  have 
been  elected  by  the  sitting  Assembly  to  supply  the 
places  become  vacant  by  death  or  otherwise),  or, 
by  going  through  the  list,  shall  determine  that  no 
further  alteration  shall  be  made.  ( Minutes ,  1801, 
p.  217.) 

III.  Business  Regulations. 

Resolved,  That  the  management  and  disposal  of 
all  moneys,  goods,  chattels,  lands,  tenements,  her- 


THE  TRUSTEES. 


35 


editaments,  and  all  other  estate  whatever,  com¬ 
mitted  to  their  care  and  trust  by  the  General 
Assembly,  is  invested  in  the  said  Trustees;  unless 
where  special  instructions  for  the  management  and 
disposal  thereof  /  shall  be  given  by  the  General 
Assembly  in  writing  under  the  hand  of  their 
Clerk ;  in  which  case  the  corporation  is  to  act  ac¬ 
cording  to  said  instructions.  That  an  exact  state 
of  the  accounts  of  the  Trustees  is  to  be  exhibited 
by  their  Treasurer  to  the  General  Assembly  once 
in  every  year ;  whereupon  it  is  recommended : 

1.  That  this  state  of  the  accounts  be  laid  be¬ 
fore  the  General  Assembly  as  early  in  their  ses¬ 
sions  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  may  know  what  appropriations  it  may  be 
in  their  power  to  make,  or  what  instructions  to 
give  to  their  Trustees  respecting  the  moneys  in 
hand. 

2.  That  when  any  appropriations  are  made  by 
the  General  Assembly,  a  copy  of  their  minute  for 
that  purpose,  signed  by  the  Clerk,  shall  be  trans¬ 
mitted  to  the  Trustees,  and  shall  be  their  war¬ 
rant  for  the  payment  of  all  moneys  thus  appro¬ 
priated. 

3.  That  when  any  measures  are  taken,  or  any 
resolutions  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly,  or 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  which  it  concerns  the  other 
to  be  acquainted  with,  due  information  of  the 
same  shall  be  given,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  the 
other.  ( Minutes ,  1801,  p.  232.) 


IV.  Members  of  the 
Assembly 

I.  THE  COMMISSIONERS. 

I.  Form  of  Government.  Chapter  XXII. 

i.  The  Commissioners  to  the  General  Assembly 
shall  always  be  appointed  by  the  Presbytery  from 
which  they  come,  at  its  last  stated  meeting,  im¬ 
mediately  preceding  the  meeting  of  the  General 
Assembly;  provided ,  that  there  be  a  sufficient 
interval  between  that  time  and  the  meeting  of 
the  Assembly  for  their  Commissioners  to  attend 
to  their  duty  in  due  season ;  otherwise  the  pres¬ 
bytery  may  make  the  appointment  at  any  stated 
meeting,  not  more  than  seven  months  preceding 
the  meeting  of  the  Assembly.  And  as  much  as 
possible  to  prevent  all  failure  in  the  representa¬ 
tion  of  the  presbyteries,  arising  from  unforeseen 
accidents  to  those  first  appointed,  it  may  be  ex¬ 
pedient  for  each  presbytery,  in  the  room  of  each 
Commissioner,  to  appoint  also  an  alternate  Com¬ 
missioner  to  supply  his  place,  in  case  of  necessary 
absence. 

II.  Each  Commissioner,  before  his  name  shall 
be  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the  Assembly,  shall 
produce  from  his  presbytery  a  commission,  under 
the  hand  of  the  Moderator  and  Clerk,  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  or  like  form,  viz. : 

(36) 


THE  COMMISSIONERS. 


37 


“The  Presbytery  of  being  met  at 

on  the  day  of  doth  hereby  appoint 

bishop  of  the  congregation  of  [or 

ruling  elder  in  the  congregation  of  as  the 

case  may  be;]  (to  which  the  presbytery  may,  if 
they  think  proper,  make  a  substitution  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  form)  :  or,  in  case  of  his  absence,  then 
bishop  of  the  congregation  of  [or — ruling 

elder  in  the  congregation  of  as  the  case 

may  be:]  to  be  a  Commissioner,  on  behalf  of  this 
presbytery,  to  the  next  General  Assembly  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  to  meet  at  on  the  day  of 
A.D.  ,  or  wherever  and  whenever  the  said 

Assembly  may  happen  to  sit ;  to  consult,  vote,  and 
determine,  on  all  things  that  may  come  before  that 
body,  according  to  the  principles  and  Constitution 
of  this  Church,  and  the  Word  of  God.  And  of  his 
diligence  herein  he  is  to  render  an  account  at  his 
return. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  Presbytery, 

Moderator. 

Clerk 

And  the  Presbytery  shall  make  a  record  of  the 
appointment. 

III.  In  order,  as  far  as  possible,  to  procure  a 
respectable  and  full  delegation  to  all  our  judica¬ 
tories,  it  is  proper  that  the  expenses  of  ministers 
and  elders,  in  their  attendance  on  these  judica¬ 
tories,  be  defrayed  by  the  bodies  which  they  re¬ 
spectively  represent. 


38  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

II.  Book  of  Discipline.  Chapter  XI. 

Representation. 

no.  In  like  manner,  a  minister  shall  be  sub¬ 
ject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  presbytery  which 
dismissed  him  (but  shall  not  deliberate  or  vote, 
nor  be  counted  in  the  basis  of  representation  to 
the  General  Assembly)  until  he  actually  becomes 
a  member  of  another  Presbytery. 

III.  Commissioners. — Additional  Provisions. 

1.  The  basis  of  representation  of  Commis¬ 
sioners  to  the  General  Assembly  is  given  in  the 
Form  of  Government,  Chap,  xii,  Sec.  2. 

2.  The  time  of  election  by  the  presbyteries  is 
specified  in  the  Form  of  Government,  Chap,  xxii, 
Sec.  1. 

3.  The  sending  of  Commissioners  is  mandatory 
as  to  (1)  equal  number  of  Bishops  and  Elders; 
(2)  full  number.  ( Minutes ,  1890,  p.  46.) 

4.  Any  Ruling  Elders  may  be  chosen  Commis¬ 
sioners,  if  members  of  churches  under  the  care  of 
the  presbytery  by  which  they  are  elected.  {Min¬ 
utes,  1889,  p.  102.) 

5.  Commissioners  are  to  present  their  commis¬ 
sions  to  the  Permanent  Committee  on  Commis¬ 
sions,  meeting  at  8:30  A.  M.  of  the  first  day  of 
the  sessions  of  the  Assembly,  or  at  some  desig¬ 
nated  hour  of  the  preceding  day.  {Standing  Rule.) 

6.  Commissioners  from  newly-formed  presby¬ 
teries  shall,  before  taking  their  seats  as  members 
of  this  body,  produce  satisfactory  evidence  that 
the  presbyteries  to  which  they  belong  have  been 
regularly  organized  according  to  the  Constitution 


THE  COMMISSIONERS. 


39 


of  the  Church,  and  are  in  connection  with  the 
General  Assembly.  Commissioners  shall  be  en¬ 
titled  to  furnish  the  evidence  required  before  the 
House  shall  proceed  to  the  choice  of  a  Moderator. 
{Minutes,  1822,  p.  48.) 

7.  No  other  persons  than  ministers  and  ruling 
elders  can  be  seated  as  Commissioners.  {Digest, 

P-  591-) 

8.  The  Assembly  will  not  go  behind  a  commis¬ 
sion,  if  it  be  in  due  form.  {Minutes,  1826,  p.  18 1.) 
See,  for  the  Form,  this  Manual,  p.  37,  as  quoted 
above. 

9.  A  certificate  of  appointment  is  not  a  com¬ 
mission  in  due  form.  {Minutes,  1896,  p.  11.) 

10.  When  a  presbytery  commissions  more  than 
its  proper  quota  of  Commissioners,  the  last  elected 
are  not  to  be  recognized.  {Minutes,  1835,  p.  466.) 

11.  Defective  commissions  and  irregular  ap¬ 
pointments  are  referred  to  a  special  Committee  on 
Elections.  It  is  the  usage  to  receive  in  such  cases 
Commissioners  of  whose  appointment  satisfactory 
evidence  is  furnished.  (See  Digest,  p.  596.) 

12.  The  Commissioners  at  an  adjourned  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  Assembly  are  to  be  the  same  persons 
who  were  enrolled  at  the  first  meeting.  Alter¬ 
nates,  however,  may  take  the  place  of  principals. 
{Minutes,  1869,  O.  S.  p.  1143,  N.  S.  p.  290.) 

13.  Alternates  may  take  the  place  of  princi¬ 
pals,  after  principals  have  been  seated,  whenever 
said  principals  are  obliged  to  withdraw  from  the 
Assembly  by  reason  of  sickness,  or  other  sufficient 
excuse.  {Minutes,  1886,  p.  no;  1908,  p.  168.) 


40  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

14.  In  the  absence  of  both  principal  and  alter¬ 
nate,  a  person  named  to  the  Assembly  by  a  peti¬ 
tion  from  a  majority  of  the  members  of  a  pres¬ 
bytery  may  be  seated  as  a  Commissioner.  (Min¬ 
utes,  1892,  p.  10;  1905,  p.  12.) 

15.  Commissioners  should  attend  with  the 
expectation  that  the  sessions  will  be  of  two  weeks’ 
continuance.  It  is  expected  they  will  continue 
in  the  Assembly  until  the  close  of  its  sessions. 
(Minutes,  1824,  p.  119.) 

16.  Each  presbytery  is  directed  to  “require 
their  Commissioners  to  report  whether  they  at¬ 
tended  the  sessions  of  the  Assembly  the  whole 
time.”  (Minutes,  1824,  p.  119.) 

17.  Commissioners  appointed  by  Executive 
Commission  seated,  regular  delegates  being  un¬ 
able  to  be  present.  (Minutes,  191 2,  p.  28.) 

See,  also,  in  this  Manual,  Leave  of  Absence,  p. 
54;  Mileage,  p.  56;  and  Entertainment,  p.  79. 

II.  ADVISORY  MEMBERS. 

1.  “In  all  regions  where  through  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  Union  Presbyteries  or  where  Missions 
exist  without  Presbyterial  organization,  there  are 
no  Presbyteries  in  connection  with  this  Assembly, 
each  Mission  organized,  as  such,  under  our  Board 
of  Foreign  Missions,  may  send  to  the  General 
Assembly  an  ordained  missionary,  or  ruling  elder, 
as  a  delegate ;  and  the  Standing  Rules  of  the 
Assembly  are  hereby  so  amended  that  such  dele¬ 
gate  is  entitled  to  sit  as  an  advisory  member  in 
the  Assembly,  and  to  speak,  under  the  rules,  on  all 
questions,  and  that  his  expenses,  from  his  domi- 


THE  COMMISSIONERS. 


41 


cile,  in  this  country,  to  and  during  the  Assembly, 
and  return,  shall  be‘  met  as  those  of  Commis¬ 
sioners,  out  of  the  funds  of  the  Assembly.  This 
Rule  shall  also  apply  to  Home  Mission  Presby¬ 
teries  whose  members  are  so  located  as  to  pre¬ 
vent  regular  meetings,  and  in  the  discretion  of 
the  Assembly.  The  names  of  the  Advisory  mem¬ 
bers  shall  be  called  at  the  first  Roll-call  and 
seats  shall  be  assigned  them  by  the  Stated  Clerk.” 
{Standing  Rule.) 

III.  CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 

Corresponding  members  are  of  three  classes. 

1.  The  officers  of  the  Assembly.  “The  perma* 
nent  officers  of  a  judicatory  shall  have  the  rights 
of  corresponding  members  in  matters  touching 
their  several  officers.”  {Rules  for  Jud.,  No.  42.) 

2.  Secretaries  of  the  Boards.  All  the  Secre¬ 
taries  of  the  Boards  of  the  Church  have  the  privi¬ 
lege  of  corresponding  members  of  the  General 
Assembly,  in  discussions  bearing  upon  the  inter¬ 
ests  of  the  Boards  which  they  severally  repre¬ 
sent.  {Minutes,  1870,  p.  85.) 

3.  Delegates  from  corresponding  bodies.  Dele¬ 
gates  regularly  appointed  by  corresponding  ec¬ 
clesiastical  bodies  of  equal  rank  with  the  Assem¬ 
bly  are  entitled  to  the  privilege  of  correspond¬ 
ing  members,  and  may  deliberate  and  advise,  but 
not  vote,  upon  matters  which  concern  the  bodies 
which  they  represent.  These  delegates  must  be 
ministers,  whose  ecclesiastical  standing  is  to  be 
specifically  indicated.  (See  Minutes,  1905,  pp. 
212,  213;  also,  Digest,  p.  277.) 


V.  Committees 


I.  STANDING  COMMITTEES. 

I.  Names. 

For  the  efficient  conduct  of  its  business  the 
General  Assembly  has  established  nineteen  Stand¬ 
ing  Committees,  viz. : 

1.  Bills  and  Overtures, 

2.  Judicial  Business, 

3.  Polity, 

4.  Home  Missions, 

5.  Foreign  Missions, 

6.  Education, 

7.  Publication  and  Sabbath-school  Work, 

8.  Church  Erection, 

9.  Theological  Seminaries, 

10.  Relief  and  Sustentation, 

11.  Freedmen, 

12.  Christian  Life  and  Work, 

13.  Correspondence, 

14.  Leave  of  Absence, 

15.  Temperance  and  Moral  Welfare, 

16.  Men’s  Work, 

17.  Finance, 

18.  Mileage, 

19.  Synodical  Records. 

(42) 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


43 


II.  Election  of  Members  of  Standing 

Committees. 

1.  At  the  close  of  the  afternoon  session  of  the 
first  day,  the  Sections  remain  in  their  places, 
unless  other  places  are  designated  by  the  Stated 
Clerk,  and  select  members  of  the  Standing  Com¬ 
mittees. 

2.  Each  Committee  consists  of  n  ministers 
and  ii  elders,  chosen  by  the  Sections,  and  the 
Chairman,  who  is  appointed  by  the  Moderator. 

3.  In  an  even-numbered  year,  each  even-num¬ 
bered  Section  elects  a  minister  for  each  even- 
numbered  Committee,  and  an  elder  for  each  odd- 
numbered  Committee. 

The  same  year,  each  odd-numbered  Section 
elects  a  minister  for  each  odd-numbered  Commit¬ 
tee,  and  an  elder  for  each  even-numbered  Com¬ 
mittee. 

In  an  odd-numbered  year  this  order  is  reversed. 

4.  For  this  election,  the  Stated  Clerk  furnishes 
each  Section  with  a  properly  printed  Return 
Blank,  which  is  filled  by  the  Section  Secretary, 
and  is  handed  forthwith  to  the  Stated  Clerk. 

5.  The  members  are  selected  from  the  Com¬ 
missioners  who  are  in  actual  attendance  on  the 
first  day  of  the  sessions.  ( Standing  Rule.) 

Special  Committee  to  Nominate  Members  of  the 
Executive  Commission. 

I.  Immediately  after  the  election  of  members 
of  the  Standing  Committees,  the  Sections  proceed, 
in  the  same  manner,  to  elect  the  members  of  the 


44  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Special  Committee  which  is  to  nominate  to  the 
Assembly  those  who  are  to  fill  existing  vacancies 
in  the  Executive  Commission.  At  this  Assembly, 
each  even-numbered  Section  is  to  select  a*  minis¬ 
ter  for  this  Committee,  and  each  odd-numbered 
Section  an  elder.  The  blanks  for  this  purpose 
are  supplied  by  the  Stated  Clerk.  This  Commit¬ 
tee  is  convened  by  the  Moderator,  at  his  discre¬ 
tion,  and  he  is  its  Chairman. 

2.  This  Committee  reports  second  Thursday, 
9:40  A.  M. 

III.  Chairmen  of  Standing  Committees. 

These  are  commonly  announced  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  morning  session  of  the  second  day, 
and  are  selected  in  accordance  with  the  follow¬ 
ing  provisions  of  a  Standing  Rule: 

1.  As  soon  as  possible,  the  Moderator  appoints 
the  Chairman  of  each  Standing  Committee. 

2.  Not  more  than  one  Chairman  shall  be  taken 
from  the  same  Electing  Section,  except  in  the 
cases  of  the  Committees  on  Finance  and  Mileage. 

3.  The  Chairmen  of  the  Committees  on  Fi¬ 
nance  and  Mileage  shall  be  Ruling  Elders. 

4.  If  the  Moderator  names  as  Chairman  one 
who  is  on  a  Committee,  the  Moderator’s  appoint¬ 
ment  has  precedence,  and  the  vacancy  thus 
created  is  filled  by  the  Section  in  which  it  oc¬ 
curs. 

5.  In  connection  with  the  appointment  of  these 
Chairmen,  the  Moderator  announces  that  all  Re¬ 
ports  of  the  several  Boards  and  Permanent  Com- 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


45 


mittees  are  referred  directly  to  the  appropriate 
Standing  Committees. 

6.  All  papers  considered  by  Standing  Commit¬ 
tees  are  to  be  returned  by  the  Chairmen  to  the 
Stated  .Clerk;  if  this  is  not  done  before,  it  is  to 
have  attention  on  the  last  day  of  the  Assembly, 
when  the  Standing  Committees  are  discharged. 

IV.  Duties  of  Standing  Committees. 

1.  Standing  Committee  on  Bills  and  Overtures. 

1.  “To  the  question  concerning  the  business  and 
powers  of  the  Committee  on  Overtures,  proposed 
last  year,  the  Synod  answer,  that  Committee  is 
intended  to  introduce  business  into  the  Synod  in 
an  orderly  manner,  that  they  may  give  advice 
concerning  either  the  matter  or  manner  of  over¬ 
tures  brought  to  them,  but  have  not  power  to 
suppress  anything  that  comes  regularly  before 
them  from  inferior  judicatories  according  to  our 
known  rules,  or  such  overtures  and  petitions  as 
inferior  judicatories  or  particular  persons  desire 
to  have  laid  before  this  Synod.”  ( Minutes ,  Synod 
N.  Y.  and  Phila.,  1769,  p.  393.) 

2.  “The  General  Assembly,  at  every  meeting, 
shall  appoint  a  Committee  on  Bills  and  Over¬ 
tures,  to  prepare  and  digest  business  for  the 
Assembly.  Any  person  thinking  himself  ag¬ 
grieved  by  this  Committee  may  complain  to  the 
Assembly.”  ( Minutes ,  1789,  p.  8.) 

3.  Petitions,  questions  relating  either  to  doc¬ 
trine  or  order,  and  usually  all  new  propositions 
tending  to  general  laws  should  be  laid  before  the 


46  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Committee  on  Bills  and  Overtures,  before  they 
be  offered  to  the  Assembly.  ( Minutes ,  1822,  p. 
42.) 

4.  “As  much  time  is  consumed,  and  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  the  Assembly  distracted  with  overtures 
and  questions  of  minor  importance,  coming  up 
from  various  quarters,  impeding  the  transaction 
of  business  of  more  general  interest,  it  is  recom¬ 
mended  that  the  Assembly  order  that,  hereafter, 
Bills  and  Overtures  come  up  only  from  Synods 
or  Presbyteries ;  yet,  that  this  may  not  prevent 
any  Committee  on  Bills  and  Overtures  from 
bringing  before  the  House,  of  its  own  motion, 
upon  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  Committee,  any 
matter  which  they  may  deem  of  sufficient  import¬ 
ance  to  engage  the  attention  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly.”  ( Minutes ,  1870,  p.  90.) 

5.  In  reply  to  the  contention  that  the  preceding 
rule  “deprives  the  Church  at  large  of  the  inalien¬ 
able  right  of  petition,”  the  Assembly  held  that  it 
“does  not  deny  the  right  of  petition,  but  only 
prescribes  an  orderly  method  of  action,  and 
saves  the  Assembly  from  unnecessary  demands 
upon  its  time.”  ( Minutes ,  1884,  pp.  75,  76.) 

6.  “The  Stated  Clerk  shall  receive  all  Over¬ 
tures,  Memorials  and  miscellaneous  papers  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Judicatory;  shall  make  record  of 
the  same  and  deliver  them  to  the  Committee  on 
Bills  and  Overtures  for  appropriate  disposition  or 
reference.  (Concerning  judicial  papers,  see  p.  16.) 
This  Committee  shall  have  the  floor,  on  the  re- 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


47 


assembling  of  the  judicatory  after  each  adjourn¬ 
ment,  to  report  its  recommendations  as  to  orders 
of  business  or  reference  of  papers,  and  this  right 
of  the  Committee  shall  take  precedence  of  the 
orders  of  the  day.  This  Committee  shall  report 
the  papers  retained  by  it,  as  well  as  those  recom¬ 
mended  for  reference  to  other  Committees,  and  no 
Committee  shall  report  on  matters  which  have 
not  been  referred  to  it  by  the  judicatory.”  (See 
p.  96,  R.  XI.) 

7.  “It  is  inexpedient  to  answer  in  thesi  ques¬ 
tions  which  the  Assembly  may  be  called  to  answer 
judicially.”  ( Digest ,  p.  280.) 

8.  Hereafter,  all  Overtures  from  Presbyteries 
and  Synods,  which  are  to  come  before  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly,  shall  be,  so  far  as  practicable,  in 
the  hands  of  the  Stated  Clerk  at  least  two  weeks 
before  the  meeting  of  the  Assembly,  and  by  him 
shall  be  printed  in  convenient  form  for  distribu¬ 
tion  on  the  floor  of  the  Assembly,  such  distribu¬ 
tion  to  be  made  not  later  than  the  second  day 
of  the  Assembly.”  ( Standing  Rule.) 

9.  All  Overtures,  memorials  and  miscellaneous 
papers,  connected  with  the  business  of  the  Assem¬ 
bly,  must  be  presented  to  the  Assembly,  through 
the  Stated  Clerk,  not  later  than  the  close  of  the 
second  day  of  its  session.  ( Standing  Rule.) 

2.  Standing  Committee  on  Judicial  Business. 

i.  It  is  expedient  that  judicatories  appoint  a 
Standing  Committee  to  be  known  as  the  Commit¬ 
tee  on  Judicial  Business,  to  which  shall  be  re- 


48  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

ferred  all  papers  and  questions  of  a  judicial  na¬ 
ture,  and  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  recommend 
to  the  judicatory  answers  to  judicial  questions 
and  orders  of  procedure  in  all  judicial  cases.  (See 
p.  104,  R.  41.) 

2.  In  the  General  Assembly,  the  province  of 
the  Committee  on  Judicial  Business  shall  be  to 
pass  upon  the  question  of  the  regularity  of  the 
papers  and  the  record  in  all  cases  referred  to  it 
by  the  Assembly ;  to  determine,  upon  the  face  of 
the  papers,  whether  questions  of  doctrine  or  Con¬ 
stitution  are  raised,  and  if,  prima  facie ,  there  is 
a  case,  to  recommend  the  same  to  the  Assembly 
for  reference  to  Judicial  Commissions.  The 
members  of  the  Committee  on  Judicial  Business 
are  not  debarred  by  their  appointment  from  sit¬ 
ting  and  voting  as  members  of  the  judicatory. 
(See  p.  104,  R.  41.) 

3.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Committee  on 
Judicial  Business  to  examine  the  record,  with  all 
the  papers  and  documents,  in  all  appeals  and  com¬ 
plaints,  and  determine  whether  it  contains  all  steps 
taken  by  the  Synod  or  Presbytery  where  the 
action  sought  to  be  reviewed  was  had.  If  the 
Committee  on  Judicial  Business  finds  that  all  such 
precedent  action  had  is  properly  embraced  therein, 
it  shall  then  certify  such  case  to  the  General  As¬ 
sembly,  which  certificate  shall  be  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  form : 

“The  Committee  on  Judicial  Business  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  19 —  hereby  certifies  that  it 
has  duly  examined  all  the  papers,  documents  and 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


49 


records  filed  with  it  by  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the 
Assembly,  in  the  within  Case,  and  finds  that  all 
steps  have  been  taken  which  are  required  by  the 
laws  of  the  Church,  in  order  properly  to  present 
to  the  Permanent  Judicial  Commission  the  ques¬ 
tions  arising  therein,  and  herewith  transmits  to 
said  General  Assembly  all  such  papers,  docu¬ 
ments  and  records. ”  ( Minutes ,  1914,  p.  257.) 

4.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Stated  Clerk  of 
the  General  Assembly,  in  transmitting  to  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Judicial  Business  the  transcript  in  any 
Appeal  or  Complaint,  also  to  transmit  a  certified 
copy  of  the  docket  made  by  him.  ( Minutes ,  1914, 

p-  257-) 

5.  In  the  case  of  Complaints  or  Appeals  affect¬ 
ing  a  Synod,  this  Committee  should  consult  with 
the  Standing  Committee  on  Synodical  Records. 

3.  Standing  Committee  on  Polity. 

1.  Overtures  and  other  papers  relating  to  the 
polity  of  the  Church,  erection  of  Synods  and  Pres¬ 
byteries,  reception  of  foreign  ministers,  etc.,  are 
referred  to  this  Committee. 

2.  In  the  year  1800,  the  General  Assembly 
adopted  regulations  placing  ministers  from  foreign 
countries  upon  probation  for  the  period  of  one 
year,  and  requiring  the  Presbyteries  to  which  they 
had  reported  to  report  the  facts  in  each  case, 
either  to  the  Synods  or  to  the  General  Assembly, 
prior  to  final  reception  ( Digest ,  pp.  196-198). 


50  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

This  rule  has  been  repealed  with  reference  to 
ministers  from  the  Presbyterian  Churches  of 
Great  Britain  and  Canada.  ( Digest ,  p.  199.) 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
report  of  the  Committee  to  this  Assembly. 


4.  Standing  Committee  on  Home  Missions. 

1.  The  Reports  of  the  Board  of  Home  Mis¬ 
sions  and  of  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Home  Mis¬ 
sions,  also  the  Findings  of  the  Home  Mission 
Council,  are  submitted  to  this  Committee,  with 
other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the 
Assembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  mem¬ 
bers  of  these  two  Boards. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of  the 
Committee’s  Report  to  this  Assembly.  Its  con¬ 
sideration  is  limited  to  an  hour  and  a  half. 

5.  Standing  Committee  on  Foreign  Missions. 

1.  The  Report  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  is  submitted  to  this  Committee,  with  other 
papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  an  hour  and  a  half. 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


51 


6.  Standing  Committee  on  Education. 

1.  The  Report  of  the  General  Board  of  Edu¬ 
cation  is  submitted  to  this  Committee,  with  other 
papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  an  hour  and  a  half. 

7.  Standing  Committee  on  Publication  and  Sabbath 

School  Work. 

1.  The  Report  of  the  Board  of  Publication  and 
Sabbath  School  Work  is  submitted  to  this  Com¬ 
mittee,  with  other  papers  on  the  general  sub¬ 
ject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  one  hour. 

8.  Standing  Committee  on  Church  Erection. 

1.  The  Report  of  the  Board  of  the  Church 
Erection  Fund  is  referred  to  this  Committee,  with 
other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board. 


52  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  one  hour. 

9.  Standing  Committee  on  Theological  Seminaries. 

1.  The  Annual  Reports  of  the  several  Theo¬ 
logical  Seminaries  reporting  to  the  Assembly  are 
referred  to  this  Committee,  with  other  papers 
on  the  general  subject. 

2.  The  names  of  the  Theological  Seminaries 
will  be  found  on  pp.  76,  77,  of  this  Manual. 

3.  This  Committee  is  expected  to  prepare  a 
Statistical  Exhibit,  such  as  appears  on  pp.  293-5, 
Minutes  of  1921. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly. 

10.  Standing  Committee  on  Relief  and  Sustentation. 

1.  The  Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of  Relief 
and  Sustentation  is  referred  to  this  Committee, 
with  other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  one  hour. 

11.  Standing  Committee  on  Freedmen.. 

1.  The  Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of  Mis¬ 
sions  for  Freedmen  is  referred  to  this  Commit¬ 
tee,  with  other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


53 


2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
the  Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  one  hour. 

12.  Standing  Committee  on  Narrative  of  Christian 

Life  and  Work. 

1.  The  Narratives  of  Christian  Life  and  Work 
from  the  several  Presbyteries  and  Synods,  and 
the  Report  of  the  Assembly’s  Special  Commit¬ 
tee  on  Narrative,  are  referred  to  this  Commit¬ 
tee,  with  other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  also  considers  the  Report 
of  the  Permanent  Committee  on  Vacancy  and 
Supply,  with  other  papers  on  the  general  sub¬ 
ject. 

3.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  the  Permanent  Committee  on  Vacancy  and 
Supply. 

4.  See  Docket  for  time  of  presentation  of 
Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly. 

13.  Standing  Committee  on  Correspondence. 

i.  All  matters  connected  with  the  subject  of 
correspondence  between  the  General  Assembly 
and  the  equivalent  judicatories  of  other  denomi¬ 
nations,  together  with  Reports  of  Delegates  to 
such  judicatories,  are  submitted  to  this  Commit¬ 
tee. 


54  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

2.  They  also  nominate  Delegates  to  correspond¬ 
ing  bodies  and  introduce  to  the  Assembly, 
through  the  Moderator,  Delegates  from  other 
Churches. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
report  to  this  Assembly. 

14.  Standing  Committee  on  Leave  of  Absence. 

1.  Resolved ,  That,  as  a  Standing  Rule  of  the 

Assembly,  a  Committee  be  appointed,  whose  duty 
it  shall  be  to  consider  all  applications  for  leave  of 
absence,  with  power  to  decide  on  the  same,  in 
place  of  the  House,  and  with  instructions  to  re¬ 
quire  in  every  case  satisfactory  reasons  for  the 
necessity  of  such  absence ;  ...  an  appeal  to 

the  Assembly  may  be  made,  in  any  instance  of 
refusal  on  the  part  of  the  Committee  to  grant 
the  application.  ( Minutes ,  1833,  p.  390.) 

2.  It  is  now  the  usage  for  the  Chairman  to 
make  but  one  report,  and  this  at  the  last  session 
of  the  Assembly,  when  he  hands  in  a  printed 
Assembly  roll,  with  check  marks  and  figures 
showing  the  names  of  Commissioners  to  whom 
leave  of  absence  has  been  granted  and  on  what 
days,  and  this  exhibit  is  printed  in  the  proceed¬ 
ings  of  the  Assembly  Journal. 

3.  “It  is  hereby  ordered  that  no  Commissioner 
who  shall  obtain  leave  of  absence  within  the  first 
six  days  of  the  sessions  shall  be  entitled  to  re¬ 
ceive  anything  from  the  Commissioners’  Fund, 
unless  the  General  Assembly  shall  order  other- 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


55 


wise,  when  the  reasons  for  the  application  are 
given.”  ( Minutes ,  1827,  p.  207.) 

4.  See  Docket  for  time  for  Committee’s  re¬ 
port  to  this  General  Assembly. 

15.  Standing  Committee  on  Temperance  and  Moral 

Welfare. 

1.  The  Report  of  the  Board  of  Temperance 
and  Moral  Welfare  is  referred  to  this  Commit¬ 
tee,  with  other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  is  to  nominate  to  the  As¬ 
sembly  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  members 
of  this  Board.  (See  p.  46.) 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  one  hour. 

16.  Standing  Committee  on  Men’s  Work. 

1.  To  this  Committee  is  referred  the  Report  of 
the  Assembly’s  Permanent  Committee  on  Men’s 
Work,  with  other  papers  on  the  general  subject. 

2.  This  Committee  nominates  to  the  Assembly 
for  election  those  who  are  to  be  elected  as  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Permanent  Committee. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  presentation  of 
Committee’s  report  to  this  Assembly.  Its 
consideration  is  limited  to  one  hour. 

17.  Standing  Committee  on  Finance. 

1.  The  Reports  of  the  Trustees  and  of  the 
Treasurer  of  the  Assembly  are  referred  to  this 
Committee. 


56  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

2.  “All  resolutions  for  the  appropriation  of 
money,  outside  the  Boards,  should  be  brought  be¬ 
fore  the  Finance  Committee,  before  action  by 
the  Assembly.”  ( Standing  Rule.) 

3.  “The  Recommendation  of  any  particular 
congregation  to  the  benevolence  of  the  denomina¬ 
tion,  by  the  General  Assembly,  is  not  to  be  under¬ 
stood  as  creating  either  a  legal  or  a  moral  obliga¬ 
tion  upon  the  Assembly  for  the  payment  of  the 
amount  recommended  to  be  contributed  by  the 
churches.”  ( Standing  Rule.) 

4.  See  Docket  for  time  for  Committee’s  re¬ 
port  to  this  General  Assembly. 

18.  Standing  Committee  on  Mileage. 

1.  The  Mileage  Committee  is  entrusted  with 
the  auditing,  and  approving  for  payment  of  the 
bills  for  traveling  expenses  of  the  Commissioners. 

2.  Blanks  for  the  preparation  of  the  bills  .of 
Commissioners  will  be  furnished  by  the  Stated 
Clerk  or  the  Treasurer  prior  to  or  at  the  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  Assembly. 

3.  See  Docket  for  time  for  Committee’s  Re¬ 
ports  to  this  General  Assembly. 

4.  The  Mileage  Fund  was  first  established  in 

1806.  ( Minutes ,  p.  370.)  Special  attention  is 

called  to  the  Mileage  and  Contingent  System 
adopted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  1870,  and 
amended  by  the  General  Assemblies  of  1875, 
1877,  1884  and  1910.  As  amended,  it  is  as 
follows : 

“The  Committee  to  whom  it  was  referred  to 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


57 


consider  and  report  a  uniform  system  of  Mile¬ 
age,  whereby  full  provision  may  be  made  for  the 
traveling  expenses  of  the  Commissioners  to  our 
General  Assemblies,  and  to  meet  the  contingent 
expenses  of  each  Assembly,  respectfully  report: 

‘'It  is  affirmed,  Form  of  Government,  Chap 
xxii,  Sec.  3,  that,  ‘in  order,  as  far  as  possible,  to 
procure  a  respectable  and  full  delegation  to  all 
our  judicatories,  it  is  proper  that  the  expense 
of  ministers  and  elders,  in  their  attendance  on 
these  judicatories,  be  defrayed  by  the  bodies 
which  they  respectively  represent.’ 

“The  principle  is  thus  established,  that  pro¬ 
vision  should  be  made  for  the  payment  of  the- 
traveling  expenses  of  Commissioners  to  the 
General  Assembly.  This  provision  should  be 
made  by  the  Presbyteries. 

“As  far  as  possible,  the  feebler  Presbyteries 
should  be  aided  in  this  matter  by  the  stronger.  It 
appears  just  and  reasonable,  and  so  has  been 
found  by  experience,  that  the  estimated  con¬ 
tingent  expenses  of  each  Assembly,  and  the 
traveling  expenses  of  the  Commissioners  in  com¬ 
ing  to  and  returning  from  the  Assembly  should 
be  fully  met  by  the  apportionment  of  the  whole 
amount  among  the  several  Presbyteries,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  number  of  their  communicants  re¬ 
spectively. 

“It  is  therefore  recommended — 

“1.  That  the  Standing  Committee  on  Mileage 
annually  appointed,  be  instructed  to  present  an 


58  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

estimate  of  the  probable  amount  that  will  be 
needed  by  the  next  General  Assembly,  in  order 
to  meet  their  contingent  expenses  and  the  travel¬ 
ing  expenses  of  their  Commissioners,  with  a 
statement  of  the  per  capita  rate,  based  on  the 
number  of  communicants,  that  will  be  needed  to 
secure  the  amount. 

“2.  That  the  Presbyteries,  at  their  stated  meet¬ 
ing  next  following  the  adjournment  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly,  apportion  the  amount  required  of 
their  Churches  as  they  deem  best. 

“3.  The  Assembly’s  Stated  Clerk  will  send 
apportionment  statements  to  the  Stated  Clerks 
and  Treasurers  of  the  Presbyteries,  with  the 
request  that  the  amounts  due  be  forwarded  to  the 
Assembly’s  Treasurer,  prior  to  the  date  of  the 
Assembly  meeting. 

“4.  It  is  understood  that  Commissioners,  both 
in  coming  to  and  returning  from  the  Assembly, 
will  avail  themselves  of  any  commutation  of  fares 
that  may  be  offered  in  season ;  and  that  in  other 
cases  they  are  to  take,  when  practicable,  the  most 
economical  route ;  no  allowance  to  be  made  for 
extra  accommodation  along  the  way.  Also,  that 
Commissioners  asking  compensation  for  sleep¬ 
ing  car  fare  attach  receipts  to  their  claims  for 
Mileage  for  all  sleeping  car  fares.  Also,  that 
no  one  will  charge  for  return  expenses  unless  he 
intends  to  go  back  to  his  field  of  labor;  and  that 
no  one  on  a  business  tour,  or  excursion  of  pleas¬ 
ure,  will  make  a  convenience  of  the  meeting  of 


/ 


STANDING  COMMITTEES.  59 

the  Assembly,  and  expect  payment  of  his  travel¬ 
ing  expenses  from  the  Mileage  Fund.  Also,  that 
Commissioners,  as  soon  after  their  arrival  as 
practicable,  are  to  report  themselves  to  the  Com¬ 
mittee  of  Arrangements,  and  have  their  respective 
places  of  abode  assigned  them. 

“5.  That  the  Mileage  Committee,  after  appro¬ 
priating  from  the  whole  sum  an  amount  sufficient 
to  meet  the  estimated  contingent  expenses  of  the 
Assembly,  be  instructed  to  audit  these  bills  and 
that  the  Treasurer  pay  them  pro  rata  (if  found 
in  accordance  with  the  preceding  regulations),  as 
far  as  the  funds  will  permit. 

“6.  That,  in  order  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
proceeds  of  this  fund,  the  Presbyteries  must 
contribute  their  full  proportion  to  it  according 
to  the  per  capita  rate. 

“7.  That  every  minister,  and  every  vacant 
Church  contributing  to  this  fund,  connected  with 
the  Presbyteries  thus  complying  with  the  pro¬ 
visions  of  this  plan,  be  entitled  to  a  copy  of  the 
Annual  Minutes  of  the  General  Assembly.* 

“8.  That  the  Commissioners  from  Presbyteries 
in  foreign  lands  receive  their  necessary  traveling 
expenses,  pro  rata,  from  their  place  of  residence 
in  this  country.” 

19.  Standing  Committee  on  Synodical  Records. 

i.  “It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Synod  to  keep 
full  and  fair  records  of  its  proceedings,  to  sub- 


*  Presbyteries  must  also  have  paid  their  Contingent  tax. 


60  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

mit  them  annually  to  the  inspection  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly.”  {Gov.,  Chap.  XI,  Sec.  6.) 

2.  The  General  Assembly  “shall  review  the 
records  of  every  Synod,  and  approve  or  censure 
them.”  {Gov.,  Chap.  XII,  Sec.  4.)  In  such  re¬ 
view  the  Assembly  is  to  examine  whether  the 
proceedings  have  been  correctly  recorded ;  have 
been  constitutional  and  regular;  have  been  wise, 
equitable,  and  for  the  edification  of  the  Church. 

3.  Formerly,  a  separate  Committee  was  ap¬ 
pointed  to  examine  the  Minutes  of  each  Synod; 
but  the  Assembly  of  1920  unanimously  adopted 
the  following: 

“That  to  the  list  of  the  General  Assembly's 
Standing  Committees  there  shall  be  added  one, 
as  No.  19,  on  Synodical  Records,  to  which  shall 
be  referred  all  Minutes  of  Synods,  for  examina¬ 
tion,  this  method  of  caring  for  the  records  of 
Synods  to  supplant  the  one  now  in  vogue.”  {Min¬ 
utes,  1920,  p.  250.) 

4.  Apply  to  the  Stated  Clerk  for  the  Records. 

5.  Return  the  Records  to  the  Stated  Clerk, 
after  examination. 

6.  Do  not  enter  upon  the  Records  the  Report 
of  the  Committee.  This  will  be  done  by  the 
Stated  Clerk,  after  the  approval  of  the  Report 
by  the  Assembly. 

7.  The  form  of  Report  should  be  in  some  such 
words  as  the  following :  “The  Committee  on 
Synodical  Records  respectfully  reports  to  the 
Assembly  that  the  Records  of  the  Synod  (or 


STANDING  COMMITTEES. 


61 


Synods)  of  .  .  .  have  been  carefully  ex¬ 

amined,  that  they  are  neatly  and  correctly  kept, 
that  they  are  in  accord  with  the  Constitution 
of  the  Church,  and  their  approval  is,  therefore, 
recommended/’ 

In  behalf  of  the  Committee, 

Chairman. 

8.  If  exceptions  to  the  Records  are  to  be  re¬ 

ported  by  the  Committee,  some  such  form  as  the 
following  is  suggested :  “The  Committee  on 
Synodical  Records  respectfully  reports  to  the 
Assembly  that  the  Records  of  the  Synod  (or 
Synods)  of  .  .  .  have  been  carefully  exam¬ 

ined,  that  they  are  neatly  and  correctly  kept,  and 
their  approval  is  recommended,  with  the  follow¬ 
ing  exceptions:”  (Here  insert  the  Committee’s 
criticisms.) 

In  behalf  of,  the  Committee, 

Chairman. 

9.  The  exceptions  to  be  made  to  Records  are 
such  as  the  following :  failure  to  engross  the  min¬ 
utes  properly  and  neatly,  lack  of  fullness  of  rec¬ 
ord,  omission  of  prayer  at  opening  and  closing  of 
sessions,  omission  of  names  of  absentees,  omis¬ 
sion  of  Reports  of  Committees,  failure  to  give 
full  particulars  in  judicial  cases,  holding  business 
sessions  on  the  Sabbath,  absence  of  quorum,  etc. 
(See  Digest,  pp.  246-259,  681-683,  685-688.) 

10.  The  General  Assembly  has  enacted  a  Rule 
by  which  the  Minutes  of  Synod  may  be  presented 


6 2  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

in  printed  form,  on  the  following  conditions:  (a) 
“That  such  printed  Minutes  be  complete  and  ac¬ 
curate  in  all  details.  ( b )  That  they  be  uniform 
as  to  size  of  page  with  the  Minutes  of  the  Assem¬ 
bly.  (c)  That  the  copy  submitted  by  each  Synod 
to  the  Assembly  for  review  be  attested  by  the 
certificate  of  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Synod  in 
writing.  ( d )  That  blank  pages  be  left  at  the 
end  for  recording  any  exceptions  that  may  be 
taken.”  ( Minutes ,  1884,  p.  75.) 

11.  If  the  Minutes  of  Synod  are  not  present  in 
the  Assembly,  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
should  report  the  fact  to  the  Assembly  in  writing, 
with  such  recommendations  as  the  Committee 
may  deem  appropriate  in  the  case. 

12.  If  Complaints  or  Appeals  are  before  the 
Assembly  from  a  Given  Synod,  the  Chairman 
should  consult  with  the  Committee  on  Judicial 
Business  and  the  Judicial  Commission,  prior  to 
making  his  Report,  so  that  any  action  proposed 
may  be  consistent. 

13.  The  approval  of  the  General  Assembly  is 
necessary  in  order  that  Synods  may  erect,  unite, 
or  divide  Presbyteries.  ( Form  of  Gov.,  Chap, 
xi,  Sec.  4.) 

V.  Time  Limits  for  Committee  Reports. 

1.  An  hour  and  a  half  each  is  the  allowance  for 
considering  the  reports  of  the  Standing  Com¬ 
mittees  on  Foreign  Missions,  General  Education 
and  Home  Missions. 


SPECIAL  COMMITTEES. 


63 


2.  An  hour  each  is  the  allotment  for  the  reports 
of  the  Permanent  Committees  on  Evangelism  and 
Men’s  Work,  also  for  the  Standing  Committees 
on  Church  Erection,  Freedmen,  Ministerial  Relief 
and  Sustentation,  Publication  and  Sabbath  School 
Work,  Temperance  and  Moral  Welfare. 

3.  The  time  for  each  Committee  is  thus  di¬ 
vided:  half  to  the  Committee,  and  half  to  the 
floor. 

4.  The  Secretary,  or  other  representative  of 
the  Agency  being  reported  upon,  is  to  have  half 
the  time  assigned  to  the  Committee,  if  he  so 
desires. 

5.  No  Commissioner  shall  speak  more  than 
five  minutes,  until  all  other  Commissioners  so 
desiring  have  spoken  on  the  pending  question. 

VI.  Contents  of  Committee  Reports:  Reso¬ 
lutions  and  Recommendations  Only. 

Reports  of  the  above-named  Committees  shall 
contain  only  the  resolutions  or  recommendations 
which  are  to  be  submitted  to  the  Assembly  omit¬ 
ting  all  details  contained  in  the  printed  reports 
of  the  Agencies  being  reported  upon,  and  the 
Chairman  shall  be  previously  so  notified  by  the 
Stated  Clerk.  ( Standing  Rlue.) 

II.  SPECIAL  COMMITTEES. 

I.  Regulations. 

1.  The  General  Assembly  from  time  to  time 
appoints  Committees  for  the  consideration  of 


64  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

special  matters  and  topics.  They  are  called 
Special  Committees,  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
Permanent  and  Standing  Committees,  and  are 
directed  to  report  either  to  the  sitting  or  the  next 
ensuing  Assembly. 

2.  The  members  of  these  Committees  are  ap¬ 
pointed  by  the  Moderator,  unless  the  House 
otherwise  directs.  ( Rules  for  Jud.  No.  7.) 

3.  “The  Moderator  is  authorized  to  fill  by  ap¬ 
pointment  any  vacancies  which  may  occur,  by 
resignation  or  otherwise,  in  any  of  the  Special 
Committees.”  ( Standing  Rule.) 

4.  “All  Special  Committees,  appointed  by  one 
General  Assembly  to  report  to  the  next  Assembly, 
shall  be  ready  to  present  their  reports  on  the 
second  day  of  the  session.”  ( Standing  Ride.) 

5.  The  Stated  Clerk  is  the  Secretary  and  Cus¬ 
todian  of  the  Correspondence  of  the  ad  interim 
Committees.  ( Minutes ,  1894,  p.  161.) 

6.  The  failure  of  an  Assembly  to  reappoint  a 
Special  Committee  which  reports  to  it  discharges 
the  Committee.  The  Chairmen  of  Committees 
should  be  careful,  therefore,  to  include  in  the 
report  a  statement  bearing  upon  the  question  of 
continuance. 

7.  “All  reports  of  Special  Committees  shall  be 
delivered  to  the  Stated  Clerk  on  or  before 
April  first  of  each  year,  shall  be  printed 
by  him,  and  copies  shall  be  sent,  in  bound 
form,  to  Commissioners,  so  far  as  practicable, 
immediately  upon  notification  of  their  election ; 


SPECIAL  COMMITTEES. 


65 


and  copies  shall  also  be  delivered  to  the  Assembly 
on  the  second  day  of  the  sessions.”  ( Standing 
Rule.) 

8.  Whenever  the  General  Assembly  shall  create 
or  shall  continue  for  another  year  a  Special  Com¬ 
mittee,  it  shall  definitely  indicate  whether  the 
expenses  of  said  Committee  are  to  be  paid  by  the 
General  Assembly ;  said  expenses,  if  so  paid,  to  be 
limited  to  actual  traveling  expenses,  including 
reasonable  expenditures  for  hotel  bills  and  meals 
en  route,  incurred  by  members  of  the  Committee 
only;  and  the  expenses  of  the  chairman,  or  other 
designated  member  of  a  committee,  to  the  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  Assembly,  for  the  presentation  of  the 
report  of  any  committee,  shall  likewise  be  paid, 
when  personal  presentation  is  manifestly  neces¬ 
sary.  (Minutes,  1921,  p.  184.) 

9.  The  Stated  Clerk  is  authorized  to  pay  the 
traveling  and  other  expenses  of  the  members  of 
Special  Committees  appointed  or  continued  by 
the  General  Assembly,  incurred  by  attendance 
upon  the  regular  meetings  of  the  Committees, 
said  expenses  to  be  kept  within  as  low  a  limit  as 
possible ;  and  he  is  also  authorized  to  contract  for 
the  printing  of  Committee  Reports  to  the  next 
Assembly,  and  pay  the  bills  for  the  same.  ( Min¬ 
utes ,  1908,  p.  239.) 

10.  The  Executive  Commission  may  authorize 
the  payment  of  the  expenses  of  Special  Commit¬ 
tees  of  the  Assembly,  within  the  limits  fixed  by 
the  Assembly,  in  lump,  upon  warrants  of  the 


66  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Stated  Clerk,  countersigned  by  the  Chairman  of 
its  Finance  Committee. 

11.  That  Special  Committees  and  the  Execu¬ 
tive  Commission  be  entitled  to  draw  upon  the 
funds  of  the  Assembly  for  only  the  expenses  of 
their  regular  meetings.  ( Minutes ,  1911,  p.  132.) 

12.  Wherever  practicable,  neither  ministers  nor 
elders  shall  be  appointed  to  serve  on  more  than 
one  special  committee,  except  by  consent  of  the 
General  Assembly.  ( Standing  Rule.) 

II.  List  of  Special  Committees  and  Com¬ 
missions. 

Special  Committee  on  Christian  Life  and  Work. 

1.  Members  and  officers  of  this  Committee  are 
as  follows : 

1919- 1922 — Rev.  Hugh  B.  MacCauley,  D.D., 
Paterson,  N.  J. ;  Rev.  Paul  M.  Strayer,  D.D., 
Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Mr.  H.  P.  Ford,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa. 

1920- 1923 — Rev.  Paul  R.  Hickok,  D.D.,  Troy, 
N.  Y. ;  Rev.  R.  E.  Williams,  D.D.,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa.;  Mr.  Edwin  J.  Gillies,  New  York. 
N.  Y. 

1921- 1924 — Rev.  William  P.  Merrill,  D.D.,  New 
York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  George  E.  Hawes,  D.D., 
Harrisburg,  Pa. ;  Hon.  William  Jennings 
Bryan,  Miami,  Fla. 

Chairman,  Moderator  of  the  Assembly. 
Acting  Chairman,  Hon.  Nathan  G.  Moore, 
Vice-Moderator. 

Secretary,  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Assembly. 


SPECIAL  COMMITTEES.  67 

Chaplains  in  the  United  States  Army  and  Navy. 

Chairman ,  Rev.  Wallace  Radcliffe,  D.D.,  Wash¬ 
ington,  D.  C. ;  Rev.  Maitland  Bartlett,  New 
York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Ford  C.  Ottman,  D.D., 
New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  John  C.  Palmer, 
D.D.,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Rev.  Charles 
Wood,  D.D.,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Rev. 
George  J.  Russell,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Ad¬ 
miral  W.  R.  Du  Bose,  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Hon.  James  P.  Newton,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Church  Co-operation  and  Union. 

Chairman,  Rev.  J.  Ross  Stevenson,  D.D.,  Prince¬ 
ton,  N.  J. ;  Rev.  William  H.  Black,  D.D., 
Marshall,  Mo.;  Rev.  John  F.  Carson,  D.D., 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Edgar  A.  Elmore, 
D.D.,  Chattanooga,  Tenn. ;  Rev.  Charles  R. 
Erdman,  D.D.,  Princeton,  N.  J. ;  Rev. 
Reuben  H.  Hartley,  D.D.,  La  Jolla,  Calif.; 
Rev.  Edgar  P.  Hill,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ; 
Rev.  George  E.  Hunt,  D.D.,  Madison,  Wis. ; 
Rev.  John  A.  Marquis,  D.D.,  New  York, 
N.  Y. ;  Rev.  William  McKibbin,  D.D.,  Cin¬ 
cinnati,  Ohio ;  Rev.  Harlan  G.  Mendenhall, 
D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  William  P. 
Merrill,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev. 
George  Reynolds,  D.D.,  New  Rochelle,  N. 
Y. ;  Rev.  James  H.  Snowden,  D.D.,  Pitts¬ 
burgh,  Pa.;  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Vance,  D.D., 
Detroit,  Mich, ;  Rev.  Hugh  K.  Walker,  D.D., 
Los  Angeles,  Calif. ;  Edward  E.  Beard,  Esq., 


68  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Lebanon,  Tenn. ;  Mr.  Robert  S.  Fulton,  Cin¬ 
cinnati,  Ohio;  Henry  W.  Jessup,  Esq.,  New 
York,  N.  Y. ;  Mr.  John  T.  Manson,  New 
Haven,  Conn. ;  Prof.  J.  J.  McConnell,  Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa ;  Hon.  John  A.  Mcllvane, 
Washington,  Pa. ;  Gen.  George  E.  Shields, 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Digest  of  the  General  Assembly. 

Chairman,  Rev.  John  V.  Stephens,  D.D.,  Cincin¬ 
nati,  Ohio ;  Rev.  Harold  McAfee  Robinson, 
D.D.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Rev.  Edward  L. 
Warren,  D.D.,  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Rev.  Lewis 
S.  Mudge,  D.D. 

Commission  on  Korean  Missionaries  in  their  Rela¬ 
tions  to  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

Chairman,  Rev.  Thomas  R.  Good,  Schenectady, 
N.  Y. ;  Rev.  S.  S.  Palmer,  D.D.,  Columbus, 
Ohio ;  Rev.  Alfred  H.  Barr,  D.D.,  Balti¬ 
more,  Md. ;  Rev.  John  Harvey  Lee,  Phila¬ 
delphia,  Pa. ;  Rev.  Minot  C.  Morgan,  D.D,, 
Detroit,  Mich. ;  Mr.  George  Barber,  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.;  Mr.  William  B.  Hay,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 

New  Era  Debt. 

Rev.  John  A.  Marquis,  D.D.,  Rev.  William  P. 
Schell,  Rev.  Edgar  P.  Hill,  D.D.,  Rev. 
Harold  McA.  Robinson,  D.D.,  Rev.  David  G. 
Wylie,  D.D.,  Rev.  Henry  B.  Master,  D.D., 
Rev.  John  M.  Gaston,  D.D.,  Rev.  Charles 
Scanlon,  LL.D.,  Rev.  George  G.  Mahy,  D.D., 


SPECIAL  COMMITTEES. 


69 


Rev.  William  F.  Weir,  D.D.,  Rev.  Harry  L. 
Bowlby,  D.D.,  Miss  Margaret  E.  Hodge, 
Miss  Lucy  H.  Dawson. 

New  Era  Movement. 

Twelve  from  the  Church  at  large: 

Chairman,  Mr.  John  T.  Manson,  New  Haven, 
Conn.;  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Cochran,  D.D.,  De¬ 
troit,  Mich.;  Rev.  William  C.  Covert,  D.D., 
Chicago,  Ill. ;  Rev.  S.  W.  McKelvey,  D.D., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Rev.  John  Harvey  Lee, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Rev.  William  R.  Taylor, 
D.D.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Joseph  A. 
Vance,  D.D.,  Detroit,  Mich. ;  Mr.  Edward 
N.  Abbey,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  John  H. 
Finley,  Ph.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Mr.  Wil¬ 
liam  A.  Harbison,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. ;  Mr. 
George  Nicholson,  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa. ;  Mr.  A. 
R.  Nicol,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Thirteen  from  the  Assembly  Agencies: 

Rev.  Harry  L.  Bowlby,  D.D.,  (Per.  Com.  on 
Sab.  Observance)  ;  Rev.  John  M.  Gaston, 
D.D.  (Board  for  Freedmen)  ;  Rev.  William 
P.  Schell  (Board  of  Foreign  Missions)  ; 
Rev.  F.  E.  Stockwell,  D.D.  (General  Board 
of  Education)  ;  Rev.  George  G.  Mahy,  D.D. 
(Per.  Com.  on  Evangelism)  ;  Rev.  Henry  B. 
Master,  D.D.  (Board  of  Ministerial  Relief 
and  Sustentation)  ;  Rev.  John  A.  Marquis, 
D.D.  (Board  Home  Missions)  ;  Rev.  Ford 
C.  Ottman,  D.D.  (Board  of  Church  Erec- 


70  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

tion)  ;  Rev.  Harold  McAfee  Robinson,  D.D. 
Board  Publication  and  Sabbath  School 
Work)  ;  Rev.  Charles  Scanlon,  LL.D.  (Board 
Temp,  and  Moral  Welfare)  ;  Rev.  Charles 
H.  McDonald,  D.D.  (Per.  Com.  on  Men’s 
Work);  Miss  Lucy  H.  Dawson  (Woman’s 
Board  of  Home  Missions)  ;  Miss  Margaret 
Hodge  (Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions)  . 

Reorganization  and  Consolidation  of  Assembly 

Agencies. 

Chairman,  Rev.  John  Timothy  Stone,  D.D.,  Chi¬ 
cago,  Ill.;  Rev.  William  H.  Black,  D.D., 
Marshall,  Mo.;  Rev.  Walter  H.  Houston, 
D.D.,*  Columbus,  Ohio ;  Rev.  Robert  J.  Mac- 
Alpine,  D.D.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Alex¬ 
ander  MacColl,  D.D.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ; 
Rev.  Leon  D.  Young,  D.D.,  Dallas,  Tex. ; 
Rev.  Fred’k  W.  Hinitt,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Indi¬ 
ana,  Pa. ;  Rev.  Wm.  R.  Taylor,  D.D.,  Ro¬ 
chester,  N.  Y. ;  Pres.  W.  O.  Thompson, 
Columbus,  Ohio;  Dr.  Andrew  Timberman, 
Columbus,  Ohio ;  Mr.  Bernard  O.  Steiner, 
Baltimore,  Md. ;  Mr.  George  P.  Conard, 
New  York;  Hon.  John  H.  DeWitt,  Nashville, 
Tenn. ;  Mr.  Ralph  W.  Harbison,  Pittsburgh, 
Pa. ;  Hon.  Nelson  H.  Loomis,  Omaha,  Neb. 

To  Visit  Theological  Seminaries. 

Chairman,  Pres.  W.  O.  Thompson,  D.D.,  Colum¬ 
bus,  Ohio;  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Cochran,  D.D., 


*  Deceased. 


SPECIAL  COMMITTEES. 


71 


Detroit,  Mich. ;  Rev.  Herbert  B.  Smith, 

1 

D.D.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. ;  Mr.  Henry  B. 
Ward,  Champaign,  Ill. ;  Mr.  David  B.  Cor¬ 
son,  Newark,  N.  J. 

Work  on  Continent  of  Europe. 

Chairman ,  Rev.  Sylvester  W.  Beach,  D.D., 
Princeton,  N.  J. ;  Secretary ,  Rev.  William 
Hiram  Foulkes,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ; 
Treasurer,  Mr.  Dwight  H.  Day,  New  York, 
N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Cochran,  D.D.,  De¬ 
troit,  Mich.;  Rev.  Tertius  VanDyke,  New 
York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Charles  Wood,  D.D., 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  Rev.  H.  G.  Mendenhall, 
D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Arthur  J. 
Brown,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  John 
A.  Marquis,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev. 
Ford  C.  Ottman,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ; 
Rev.  David  G.  Wylie,  D.D.,  New  York,  N. 
Y. ;  Pres.  Cheesman  A.  Herrick,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa. ;  Mr.  W.  S.  Coffin,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Commission  on  Co-operation  with  the  World  Alliance 
for  Promoting  International  Friendship 
Through  the  Churches. 

Chairman,  Rev.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Martin  D.  Hardin, 
D.D.,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  John  McDowell, 
D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  John  Timothy 
Stone,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Chicago,  Ill. ;  Rev. 
Charles  Wood,  D.D.,  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Rev.  Henry  Sloane  Coffin,  D.D.,  New  York. 


J2  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Foulkes,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Alexander  MacColl, 
D.D.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Rev.  William  P. 
Merrill,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  J. 
Ross  Stevenson,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Princeton,  N. 
J. ;  Rev.  Paul  F.  Sutphen,  D.D.,  Cleveland, 
Ohio ;  Rev.  Charles  L.  Thompson,  D.D., 
LL.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Charles  R. 
Zahniser,  Ph.D.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. ;  Rev.  John 
H.  Boyd,  D.D.,  Portland,  Ore. ;  Rev.  Samuel 
Van  V.  Holmes,  D.D.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
James  Bertram,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
Thos.  C.  Day,  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  Pres.  John 
IT.  McCracken,  LL.D.,  Easton,  Pa. ;  Mr. 
Richard  C.  Morse,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
James  M.  Speers,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
Charles  Thaddeus  Terry,  New  York,  N.  Y. ; 
Mr.  James  A.  Whitmore,  New  York,  N.  Y. ; 
Mr.  Alfred  R.  Kimball,  New  York,  N.  Y. ; 
Pres.  Henry  Noble  MacCracken,  LL.D., 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. ;  George  A.  Plimpton, 
LL.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Amos  P.  Wilder, 
Ph.D.,  New  Haven,  Conn. ;  Dr.  Robert  E. 
Speer,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Mr.  James  H. 
Post,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Official  Representatives,  American  Section  Universal 
Conference  of  Church  of  Christ  on  Life 
and  Work. 

Chairman,  Rev.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  D.D.,  New 
York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Edgar  P.  Hill,  D.D.,  New 


SPECIAL  COMMITTEES. 


73 


York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Harlan  G.  Mendenhall, 
D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Charles  L. 
Thompson,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. ;  Rev. 
William  P.  Merrill,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Every  Member  Plan  Committee. 

Chairman,  Rev.  John  A.  Marquis,  D.D.;  Miss 
Lucy  H.  Dawson;  Rev.  Stanley  P.  White, 
D.D.;  Rev.  Edgar  P.  Hill,  D.D.;  Rev.  H. 
McA.  Robinson,  D.D.;  Rev.  David  G. 
Wylie,  D.D.;  Rev.  Henry  B.  Master,  D.D.; 
Rev.  John  M.  Gaston,  D.D.;  Rev.  Charles 
Scanlon,  LL.D.;  Rev.  George  G.  Mahy, 
D.D.;  Rev.  William  F.  Weir,  D.D.;  Rev. 
H.  L.  Bowlby,  D.D.;  Mr.  Frank  H.  Mann; 
Mr.  David  McConaughy;  Rev.  William  S. 
Marquis,  D.D. 

The  Presbyterian  Magazine  Committee. 

Chairman,  Rev.  David  G.  Wylie,  D.D. ;  Secretary, 
Rev.  William  P.  Schell ;  Rev.  William  Hiram 
Foulkes,  D.D.,  Rev.  John  M.  Gaston,  D.D., 
Rev.  F.  E.  Stockwell,  D.D.,  Rev.  John  Mc¬ 
Dowell,  D.D.,  Rev.  Henry  B.  Master,  D.D., 
Rev.  Harold  McA.  Robinson,  D.D.,  Editor, 
Rev.  James  H.  Snowden,  D.D.,  Publisher, 
Mr.  Horace  P.  Camden. 


VI.  Agencies  of  the 
Assembly 

I.  THE  BOARDS  AND  PERMANENT 

COMMITTEES. 

The  Boards  and  Permanent  Committees  were 
established  by  the  General  Assembly  and  are  sub¬ 
ject  to  its  authority.  They  are  entrusted,  as  a 
rule,  with  the  conduct  of  the  General  Missionary 
and  Benevolent  Work  of  the  Church. 

I.  The  Constitutional  Provisions. 

These  will  be  found  in  the  Form  of  Govern¬ 
ment,  Chapter  xii,  Section  5  and  Chapter  xviii. 

II.  The  Acts  of  the  General  Assembly. 

1.  For  the  names  and  officers  of  all  the  Boards 
and  the  Permanent  Committees,  see  the  inside 
of  the  covers  of  this  Manual. 

2.  Each  of  the  Boards  submits  an  Annual  Re¬ 
port  to  the  Assembly. 

3.  “Each  Board  and  Permanent  Committee  is 
instructed  to  send  up  its  Minutes  with  its  Re¬ 
port,  that  these  minutes  may  be  reviewed  by  the 
Assembly,  on  the  report  of  the  appropriate 
Standing  Committee.”  ( Standing  Rule .) 

4.  “The  Treasurer  of  each  of  the  several 
Boards  of  the  Church,  and  of  each  of  the  Per- 

(74) 


ACTS  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY.  75 

manent  Committees  of  the  General  Assembly,  is 
hereby  instructed  to  furnish,  in  connection  with 
his  annual  report,  a  Summary,  showing  total  re¬ 
ceipts  (a)  from  churches  and  church  organiza¬ 
tions;  (b)  from  individuals;  (c)  from  legacies; 
(d)  from  invested  funds  ;  (e)  from  miscellaneous 
sources,  including  tuition,  sales  of  literature,  etc. ; 
also  a  similar  Summary  of  Expenditures  for  (a) 
field  work,  (b)  administrative  expenses,  (c)  ad¬ 
vertising,  maintenance  of  investments,  etc. 
Transfer  of  funds  from  one  account  to  another 
is  not  to  be  included  in  said  summary."  (Min¬ 
utes,  1907,  p.  246.) 

5.  “A  sufficient  number  of  the  Reports  of  the 
Boards  and  Committees  shall  be  forwarded  by 
them  to  the  place  of  meeting  of  each  Assembly, 
prior  to  the  day  of  meeting ;  and  a  complete  file 
of  the  same,  stitched  together,  shall  be  delivered 
to  each  Commissioner."  (Standing  Rule.) 

6.  “No  person  shall  serve  as  a  member  of  a 
Board  who  is  a  salaried  executive  officer  or  em¬ 
ploye  of  said  Board  or  of  any  institution  officially 
connected  with  said  Board,  or  a  member  of  any 
other  benevolent  Board  of  the  Church ;  and  no 
more  than  one  ruling  elder  from  the  same  congre¬ 
gation  shall  serve  on  a  Board  at  the  same  time." 
( Standing  Ride.)  (For  exceptions,  see  Minutes, 
1916,  p.  204.) 

7.  “Any  vacancy  occurring  in  the  membership 
of  any  .  of  the  Boards  of  the  Church,  during  the 
interval  between  Assemblies,  may  be  filled,  until 


76  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


the  next  succeeding  meeting  of  the  Assembly, 
by  the  Board  in  which  such  vacancy  may  occur.” 
( Standing  Rule.) 

8.  “Upon  the  original  appointment  of  any  sal¬ 
aried  executive  officer  of  any  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Missionary  Boards  of  the  Church,  such  ap¬ 
pointment  shall  be  subject  to  the  approval  of  the 
General  Assembly.”  ( Standing  Rule.) 

9.  For  information  as  to  the  Charters  of  the 
Boards,  number  of  members,  etc.,  see  their 
Annual  Reports. 

10.  “In  all  questions  touching  the  character  of 
ministers,  the  Board  ....  in  cases  of  differ¬ 
ence  between  itself  and  the  Presbytery,  should 
abide  by  the  final  judgment  of  the  Presbytery/* 
{Minutes,  1883,  p.  643.) 

II.  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARIES. 

1.  The  theological  institutions  under  the  con¬ 
trol  of  the  Assembly  are  twelve  in  number,  viz. : 

( 1 )  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  Prince¬ 
ton,  N.  J. 

(2)  Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  Auburn, 
N.  Y. 

(3)  Western  Theological  Seminary,  Pitts¬ 
burgh,  N.  S.,  Pa. 

(4)  Lane  Theological  Seminary,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 

(5)  Kentucky  Theological  Seminary, .  Louis¬ 
ville,  Ky. 


THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARIES.  77 

(6)  McCormick  Theological  Seminary,  Chi¬ 
cago,  Ill. 

(7)  San  Francisco  Theological  Seminary,  San 
Anselmo,  Cal. 

(8)  Dubuque  College  and  Seminary,  Du¬ 
buque,  la. 

(9)  Bloomfield  Theological  Seminary,  Bloom¬ 
field,  N.  J. 

(10)  Lincoln  University  (Theological  Depart¬ 
ment),  Lincoln  University,  Pa. 

(11)  Biddle  University  (Theological  Depart¬ 
ment),  Charlotte,  N.  C. 

(12)  Omaha  Theological  Seminary,  Omaha, 
Neb. 


VII.  Financial  System 

The  General  Assembly  of  1911  referred  to  the 
Executive  Commission  with  power,  “the  admin¬ 
istration  of  the  finances  of  the  Assembly,  the 
appointment  of  a  treasurer  included.”  (See 
Minutes,  1911,  p.  130.)  The  following  plan  of 
administration  of  finances  of  the  Assembly  was 
adopted  in  due  form  by  the  Executive  Commis¬ 
sion,  and  became  operative  December  30,  1911. 
That  plan,  with  certain  modifications  which  the 
Executive  Commission  has  made  since  the  last 
Assembly,  is  as  follows : 

1.  Election  of  Treasurer. — The  office  of  Treas¬ 
urer  is  hereby  reconstituted,  and  The  Land  Title 
and  Trust  Company  of  Philadelphia  is  elected 
Treasurer  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

2.  Duties  of  the  Treasurer. 

(a)  To  receive  all  funds  for  the  financial  ad¬ 
ministration  of  the  General  Assembly,  including 
the  presbyterial  apportionments  for  the  mileage, 
entertainment  and  contingent  funds,  receipts 
from  the  sale  of  Minutes  by  the  Stated  Clerk,  and 
moneys  from  any  sources  as  ordered  by  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly.  These  funds  shall  be  deposited 
by  the  Treasurer  in  the  name  of  “The  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U. 
S.  A.” 


(78) 


FINANCIAL  SYSTEM. 


79 


(b)  To  disburse  the  funds  of  the  Assembly,  in 
the  intervals  between  its  meetings,  for  amounts 
as  provided  for  in  the  budget  hereinafter  referred 
to ;  payments  to  be  made  upon  regular  vouchers 
showing  the  character  and  amount  of  the  ex¬ 
penditures,  to  be  drawn  by  the  Stated  Clerk  and 
vouched  for  and  signed  by  him  as  correct.  Upon 
receipt  of  a  regular  voucher  in  due  form  from 
the  Stated  Clerk,  countersigned  by  the  Treasurer, 
the  Treasurer  shall  draw  a  check  for  the  amount, 
to  the  order  of  the  party  named  in  the  voucher, 
and  transmit  the  same  to  the  proper  person.  In 
the  absence  or  disability  of  the  Stated  Clerk,  the 
Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Ex¬ 
ecutive  Commission  shall  act  on  his  behalf.  A 
certified  copy  of  this  resolution  shall  be  sent  to 
the  Treasurer. 

(c)  To  pay  the  mileage  and  entertainment  bills 
of  commissioners  at  the  meetings  of  the  General 
Assembly.  For  the  payment  of  these  bills  the 
Treasurer  may  deposit  sufficient  funds,  as  pro¬ 
vided  in  the  budget,  in  a  local  bank  or  trust  com¬ 
pany  to  be  selected  by  the  Treasurer  in  the  place 
where  the  Assembly  meets,  and  the  Treasurer,  or 
his  representative,  shall  draw  a  check  to  the  order 
of  each  commissioner,  upon  the  mileage  statement 
of  said  commissioner,  signed  by  said  commis¬ 
sioner  when  approved  by  the  Mileage  Committee 
and  countersigned  by  a  member  thereof,  and  this 
mileage  statement  shall  be  a  voucher  for  pay¬ 
ment  ;  also  a  check  to  the  order  of  each  commis- 


80  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

sioner  upon  the  entertainment  statement  of  said 
commissioner,  signed  by  said  commissioner,  and 
countersigned  by  a  member  of  the  Entertainment 
Committee,  and  such  entertainment  statement 
shall  be  a  voucher  for  payment.  The  Treasurer 
shall  distribute  the  checks  to  the  commissioners 
in  such  manner  as  he  may  deem  best. 

(d)  To  keep  the  books  of  accounts  of  all  re¬ 
ceipts  and  disbursements,  and  to  make  a  report 
to  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission  quarterly.  The  Treasurer  shall  also 
make  an  annual  report,  which  shall  be  audited  by 
a  certified  public  accountant,  appointed  by  the 
Finance  Committee  of  the  Executive  Commis¬ 
sion,  and  shall  be  transmitted  through  the  Stated 
Clerk  to  the  General  Assembly,  to  be  referred  in 
due  course  to  the  Standing  Committee  on  Finance 
of  the  sitting  Assembly  for  examination  and  ap¬ 
proval. 

3.  Duties  of  the  Stated  Clerk. 

( a )  To  send  notices  of  apportionments  to  the 
Presbyteries,  specifying  the  amounts  due  for  the 
different  funds.  The  notices  shall  give  instruc¬ 
tions  that  all  checks  or  drafts  shall  be  drawn  to 
the  order  of  “the  Treasurer  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S. 
AS  ;  and  such  checks  or  drafts  shall  be  forwarded 
to  the  Treasurer,  who  shall  keep  a  record  of  all 
receipts.  Payments  of  apportionments  made  by 
Presbyteries  while  the  Assembly  is  in  session 
shall  be  transmitted  to  the  Treasurer. 


FINANCIAL  SYSTEM. 


8l 


(b)  To  send  forms  for  the  Mileage,  together 
with  necessary  information  regarding  Entertain¬ 
ment,  to  each  commissioner,  so  far  as  feasible,  at 
least  ten  days  prior  to  the  meeting  of  the  As¬ 
sembly. 

(c)  To  prepare  an  annual  budget  for  the  ex¬ 
penses  of  the  office  of  the  General  Assembly  and 
of  other  expenses  of  the  Assembly.  The  budget 
shall  specify  each  item  of  expense  definitely  as  to 
character  and  amount,  and  shall  include  the  sal¬ 
aries  of  the  officers  of  the  Assembly,  office  assist¬ 
ants  and  stenographers,  allowances  for  postage 
and  incidentals,  and  the  cost  of  printing  and  dis¬ 
tributing  the  Minutes.  The  budget  shall  also 
contain  an  estimate  for  the  traveling  and  enter¬ 
tainment  expenses  of  commissioners  for  each 
General  Assembly,  and  an  allowance  for  the  ex¬ 
penses  of  the  Moderator  for  official  visitation 
of  the  Church.  Said  budget  thus  itemized,  shall 
be  submitted  to  the  Finance  Committee  of  the 
Executive  Commission,  and  after  examination 
and  approval,  shall  be  presented  to  the  Executive 
Commission  at  its  March  meeting  in  each  year, 
for  action.  Certified  copies  of  the  budget,  when 
approved  by  the  Executive  Commission,  shall  be 
presented  to  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Ex¬ 
ecutive  Commission,  to  the  Stated  Clerk  and  to 
the  Treasurer,  and  shall  be  the  general  warrant 
both  for  the  Stated  Clerk  and  for  the  Treasurer, 
for  payments  to  be  made  upon  particular  vouch¬ 
ers  duly  drawn  in  accordance  with  this  plan 


82  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Any  questions  arising  in  connection  with  the 
budget,  and  any  special  needs,  not  specified,  aris¬ 
ing  from  time  to  time,  shall  be  considered  and  de¬ 
cided  by  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Executive 
Commission,  which  decision  shall  be  binding  upon 
the  Stated  Clerk  and  upon  the  Treasurer. 

( d)  To  provide  for  payment  of  the  expenses 
of  the  Executive  Commission  and  of  special  com¬ 
mittees.  Each  member  of  such  bodies  shall 
furnish  to  the  Stated  Clerk  an  itemized  statement 
of  his  expenses  upon  a  form  duly  approved  by 
the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission.  These  accounts  ordinarily  are  to  be 
paid  to  the  members  separately  by  the.  Treasurer 
on  vouchers  of  the  Stated  Clerk  duly  drawn. 
Should  the  need  arise,  a  voucher,  in  due  form, 
may  be  drawn  by  the  Stated  Clerk  upon  the 
Treasurer  for  a  sum  estimated  by  him  to  be  suffi¬ 
cient  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  members  of  such 
bodies,  for  each  particular  meeting;  and  the  in¬ 
dividual  accounts,  countersigned  by  the  chairmen 
of  such  bodies  and  duly  receipted,  shall  be  the 
vouchers  of  the  Stated  Clerk  and  of  the  Treas¬ 
urer  for  the  payments  made,  and  any  balance 
shall  be  returned  to  the  Treasurer,  after  each 
meeting. 

4.  Duties  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  the 
Ex  ecu  tive  C  0  m  mission . 

(a)  To  exercise  a  careful  oversight  of  the  ad¬ 
ministration  of  the  finances  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  with  a  view  to  the  greatest  possible 


FINANCIAL  SYSTEM. 


^3 


economy  and  efficiency ;  to  examine  and  approve 
the  budget,  and  to  see  that  said  budget,  when 
adopted  by  the  Executive  Commission,  is  strictly 
adhered  to  and  effectively  carried  out ;  to  au¬ 
thorize  the  signing  of  regular  vouchers  so  as  to 
provide  for  the  payment  of  the  items  of  expen¬ 
ditures  contained  in  the  budget,  and  also  all  other 
expenses  arising  from  time  to  time  by  reason  of 
special  needs. 

( b )  To  receive  and  examine  the  quarterly  and 
annual  reports  of  the  Treasurer;  to  provide  for 
the  auditing  of  the  books  of  the  Treasurer  by 
certified  public  accountants ;  and  also  to  arrange 
for  loans  when  necessary  for  the  financial  admin¬ 
istration  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  the  notes 
shall  be  signed  by  the  chairman  of  the  Finance 
Committee  of  the  Executive  Commission  and 
countersigned  by  the  Stated  Clerk. 


VIII.  Miscellaneous  Subjects 

Place  of  Meeting. 

1.  The  General  Assembly  appointed  in  1881  a 
Permanent  Committee  on  the  Next  Place  of 
Meeting,  which  now  consists  of  the  Moderator 
for  the  time  being,  with  the  Stated  Clerk.  To 
this  Committee  all  invitations  to  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  are  referred  for  consideration  and  report. 

2.  The  Second  Thursday  10.00  A.  M.  is  the 
time  appointed  for  action  by  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly  on  the  report  of  this  committee. 

3.  The  General  Assembly,  on  the  report  of  this 
Committee,  appoints  a  Committee  of  Arrange¬ 
ments  for  its  next  meeting,  consisting  of  the 
pastor  and  elders  of  the  church  with  which  the 
Assembly  meets  and  the  Stated  Clerk.  Of  this 
Committee  the  pastor  of  the  church  is  Chairman, 
and  the  Committee  receives  power  to  add  to  its 
number. 

4.  The  Committee  of  Arrangements  has  charge 
of  the  edifice  in  which  the  Assembly  meets,  sub¬ 
ject  to  the  Assembly’s  orders.  It  also  provides 
places  of  entertainment  for  the  Commissioners, 
recommends  to  the  Assembly  the  order  .of 
exercises  in  connection  with  the  administration 
of  the  Lord’s  Supper  on  the  first  Thursday 
of  the  Assembly’s  meeting,  and  aids  certain 
of  the  Boards  in  preparation  for  the  evening 

(84) 


RELIGIOUS  SERVICES. 


85 


popular  meetings.  The  Committee  has  no  au¬ 
thority  in  connection  with  the  Assembly’s  ordin¬ 
ary  business. 

5.  The  Moderator,  with  the  Stated  Clerk, 
should  an  emergency  requiring  action  at  any  time 
arise,  are  authorized  to  provide  a  new  place  of 
meeting  for  the  General  Assembly.  ( Minutes , 
1899,  p.  89;  Standing  Rule.) 


Religious  Services. 

1.  The  General  Assembly  is  always  opened  with 
a  sermon  or  an  address  by  the  Moderator,  or,  in 
his  absence,  by  the  person  eligible  to  take  his 
place.  It  is  the  custom  for  the  Moderator  to 
invite  other  ministers  present  to  take  part  with 
him  in  the  opening  devotional  services. 

2.  Every  session  of  the  Assembly  must  be 
opened  and  closed  with  prayer.  These  prayers 
may  be  offered  either  by  the  Moderator  or  by 
other  persons  named  by  him. 

3.  It  is  now  the  custom  to  devote  the  last  half 
hour  of  every  morning  session  to  religious  serv¬ 
ices,  to  be  conducted  either  by  the  Moderator  or 
by  other  persons  appointed  by  him. 

4.  The  Sacrament  of  the  Lord’s  Supper  is  cele¬ 
brated  on  the  morning  of  the  first  Thursday  of 
the  sessions.  The  retiring  Moderator  presides  at 
this  service,  and  is  aided  by  ministers  and  ruling 
elders  selected  by  the  Committee  of  Arrange¬ 
ments. 


86  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

5.  The  Book  of  Hymns  and  Tunes  approved 
for  use  at  all  meetings  is  the  Presbyterian 
Hymnal. 

6.  After  the  reading  of  the  Narrative  of  Chris¬ 
tian  Life  and  Work  and  the  Necrology,  an  ap¬ 
propriate  hymn  is  sung,  and  prayer  offered  by 
some  one  of  the  senior  ministers  present,  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Moderator. 

7.  It  is  the  custom  for  the  Assembly  to  ap¬ 
point,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Moderator,  or  bv 
resolution  of  the  body,  such  additional  services 
as  may  be  required  by  special  circumstances. 

Popular  Meetings. 

The  Evenings  of  the  days  of  session  are  as¬ 
signed  to  popular  meetings.  The  times  when  and 
the  places  where  these  meetings  are  to  be  held 
are,  under  the  Standing  Rules,  subject  to  the  ap¬ 
proval  of  the  Stated  Clerk.  The  detailed  ar¬ 
rangements  for  each  of  these  -meetings  are  en¬ 
tirely  in  the  hands  of  the  Boards  conducting  it. 

The  Pre-Assembly  Conferences. 

The  General  Assembly  of  1918,  Minutes,  p. 
38,  confirmed  the  previous  regulations  for  the 
Pre-Assembly  Conferences,  and  made  it  a  Stand¬ 
ing  Rule  of  the  Assembly  “that  the  Executive 
Commission  shall  be  empowered  to  arrange  for 
all  Conferences  immediately  preceding  the  meet¬ 
ings  of  General  Assemblies;  the  subject  to  be 
first  considered  by  the  Every-member  Plan  Com- 


AFFILIATED  BODIES.  87 

mittee,  and  then  to  be  reported  by  it  to  the  Exec¬ 
utive  Commission  for  action.” 

Platform  Notices. 

Only  notices  connected  directly  with  the 
business  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  be  read 
from  the  platform,  and  all  notices,  prior  to  an¬ 
nouncement,  shall  be  submitted  either  to  the 
Moderator  or  the  Stated  Clerk  for  approval. 
Telegrams  and  special  letters  shall  be  reported 
to  the  Assembly  only  at  times  to  be  designated 
by  the  Moderator.  ( Standing  Rule.) 


IX.  Affiliated  Religious 

Bodies 


World  Alliance  of  Reformed  Churches. 

1.  The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 
is  a  member  of  the  “Alliance  of  the  Reformed 
Churches  throughout  the  World  holding  the 
Presbyterian  System.”  The  Constitution  of  the 
Alliance  will  be  found  in  the  Digest ,  p.  308. 

2.  The  General  Assembly  appoints  delegates  to 
the  General  Councils  of  the  Alliance,  which  are 
held  at  stated  intervals,  ordinarily  every  four 
years.  The  basis  of  representation  as  fixed  by 
the  Western  Section  is  as  follows:  Every  church 
of  25,000  communicants  or  under  to  be  entitled 
to  two  delegates,  preferably  a  minister  and  a  rul¬ 
ing  elder ;  but  where  any  church  has  more  than 
25,000  communicants,  then  for  each  completed 
12,500  after  25,000,  one  delegate.  The  General 
Councils  are  held  at  such  places  as  may  be  deter¬ 
mined  by  the  Councils,  and  at  dates  indicated  by 
the  duly  appointed  Committee  of  Arrangements 
for  each  Council. 

3.  The  General  Assembly  of  1876  appointed 
the  Moderator  with  the  Stated  and  Permanent 
Clerks  and  three  other  gentlemen  a  Committee  to 
appoint  delegates  to  the  first  Council  of  the  Al¬ 
liance  ( Minutes ,  pp.  50-53).  Action  of  a  similar 

(88) 


AFFILIATED  BODIES.  89 

character  was  taken  by  the  Assemblies  of  1879, 
1886,  1894,  1898,  1902,  etc. 

4.  The  Moderator  for  the  time  being,  with  the 
Stated  Clerk,  usually  constitute  the  Committee 
to  fill  vacancies  in  the  delegations. 

5.  The  expenses  of  the  Alliance  are  distributed 
pro  rata  to  the  different  Churches  therein,  the 
basis  being  the  number  of  delegates  to  which  each 
is  entitled.  For  the  present  period  the  amount 
annually  asked  from  the  Assembly  is  $3,100. 

6.  The  next  (the  Twelfth)  General  Council 
will  convene  in  Cardiff,  Wales,  in  1925. 

List  of  American  Churches  in  the  Alliance. 

Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Synod. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  Brazil. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  Mexico. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

Reformed  Church  in  America. 

Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States. 

Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  General  Synod. 

Synod  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. 

United  Presbyterian  Church. 


General  Council  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Re¬ 
formed  Churches  in  America. 

The  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  Churches  in 
America,  “desiring  to  evince  and  develop  their 


90  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

spiritual  unity,  and  to  promote  closer  relations 
and  more  effective  administrative  co-operation 
among  these  Churches,”  have  adopted  a  Pre¬ 
amble,  a  Basis  of  Federal  Union,  and  also  amended 
Articles  of  Agreement. 

The  following  Churches,  with  over  2,000,000 
communicants,  are  members  of  the  Council: 

Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Synod. 

Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  Colored. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

Reformed  Church  in  America. 

Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States. 

United  Presbyterian  Church. 

2.  The  Council  meets  biennially  and  also  meets 
in  special  session  when  requested  by  the  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  at  least  two  Churches.  The  last 
meeting  was  held  in  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  in  1922. 

3.  The  amended  Articles  of  Agreement  give- 
our  Church  its  proportionate  number  of  dele¬ 
gates.  Two  of  these  delegates  are  the  Modera¬ 
tor  for  the  time  being  and  the  Stated  Clerk. 
The  others  are  elected  in  classes,  for  three  years, 
by  the  General  Assembly. 

4.  The  expenses  of  the  Council  are  met  by  an 
apportionment,  the  total  of  which,  for  the  past 
two  years,  has  been  $500  per  annum,  of  which 
this  Church  is  expected  to  contribute  $200. 


AFFILIATED  BODIES. 


91 


Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in 

America. 

1.  This  Council  was  organized  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  in  December,  1908,  “to  manifest  the  essential 
oneness  of  the  Christian  Churches  of  America  in 
Jesus  Christ  as  their  Divine  Lord  and  Saviour, 
and  to  promote  the  spirit  of  fellowship,  service 
and  co-operation  among  them  for  the  prosecution 
of  work  that  can  be  better  done  in  union/’ 

The  combined  influence  of  thirty  Christian 
bodies,  representing  over  17,000,000  communi¬ 
cants,  is  herein  devoted  to  the  application  of  the 
law  of  Christ  to  every  relation  of  human  life. 

2.  “Each  of  the  Christian  bodies  adhering  to 
this  Federal  Council  shall  be  entitled  to  four 
members,  and  shall  be  further  entitled  to  one 
member  for  every  50,000  of  its  communicants  or 
major  fraction  thereof.”  This  Church  is  entitled 
therefore  to  thirty-six  delegates.  (See  Minutes, 
1920,  p.  101.) 

3.  The  Council  meets  once  in  every  four  years. 

President. — Robert  E.  Speer,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

Hon.  Secretary. — Rev.  Elias  B.  Sanford,  D.D. 

Secretaries,  Rev.  Charles  S.  Macfarlano, 
Ph.D.,  Rev.  Samuel  McCrae  Cavert. 

Office,  Room  612,  United  Charities  Building, 
105  East  22d  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


92  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Delegates  from  and  to  Corresponding  Bodies. 

1.  “It  belongs  to  the  Assembly  to  correspond 
with  foreign  Churches,  on  such  terms  as  may  be 
agreed  upon  by  the  Assembly  and  the  correspond¬ 
ing  body.”  ( Minutes ,  1827,  p.  219.) 

2.  Delegates  are  received  only  from  equivalent 
ecclesiastical  bodies.  “It  is  the  judgment  of  this 
Assembly  that  friendly  delegates  or  visitors 
should  be  received  only  from  corresponding  ec¬ 
clesiastical  bodies.”  ( Minutes ,  1880,  p.  42.) 

3.  Delegates  are  appointed  only  to  ecclesiastical 
bodies.  “It  is  not  our  custom  to  appoint  dele¬ 
gates  except  to  ecclesiastical  bodies.”  ( Minutes , 
1881,  p.  551.) 

4.  Delegates  are  not  ordinarily  appointed  to 
Churches  in  the  Presbyterian  Alliance.  “The 
Assembly,  with  the  most  cordial  esteem  for  the 
brethren  of  the  other  Presbyterian  Churches,  will 
in  future  decline  to  appoint  any  such  delegates, 
and  content  themselves  with  the  appointment  of 
commissioners  to  the  General  Council  of  the  Al¬ 
liance.”  ( Minutes ,  1879,  p.  616.) 


X.  General  Rules  for 
Judicatories 


Adopted  by  the'  General  Assembly  of  1871,  with 
Amendments  to  1922. 

*The  following  “General  Rules  for  Judicatories,”  not  having 
been  submitted  to  the  Presbyteries,  make  no  part  of  the  Con¬ 
stitution  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Yet  the  General  Assembly 
of  1871,  considering  uniformity  in  proceedings  in  all  the  sub¬ 
ordinate  judicatories  as  greatly  conducive  to  order  and  dispatch 
in  business,  having  revised  and  'approved  these  Rules,  recommend 
them  to  all  the  lower  judicatories  of  the  Church  for  adoption. 
Succeeding  Asemblies  have  also  approved  these  Rules,  making 
amendments  from  time  to  time. 


It  will  be  understood  that  the  words  in  black-faced  type,  which 
immediately  precede  each  Rule  and  summarize  its  con¬ 
tents,  form  no  part  of  the  Rule  itself. 


Meeting  to  be  opened  with  prayer: 

I.  The  Moderator  shall  take  the  chair  precisely 
at  the  hour  to  which  the  judicatory  stands  ad¬ 
journed  ;  and  shall  immediately  call  the  members 
to  order;  and,  011  the  appearance  of  a  quorum, 
shall  open  the  session  with  prayer. 

Those  eligible  to  preside  if  Moderator  be  absent: 

II.  If  a  quorum  be  assembled  at  the  time  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  the  Moderator  be  absent,  the  last 
Moderator  present,  being  a  Commissioner ,  or  if 
there  be  none,  the  senior  member  present,  shall  be 
requested  to  take  his  place  without  delay,  until 
a  new  election. 


(93) 


94  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Procedure  when  no  quorum  is  present: 

III.  If  a  quorum  be  not  assembled  at  the  hour 
appointed,  any  two  members  shall  be  competent 
to  adjourn  from  time  to  time,  that  an  opportun¬ 
ity  may  be  given  for  a  quorum  to  assemble. 

Moderator  to  preserve  order  and  dispatch  business: 

IV.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Moderator,  at 
all  times,  to  preserve  order,  and  to  endeavor  to 
conduct  all  business  before  the  judicatory  to  a 
speedy  and  proper  result. 

Moderator  to  keep  schedule  of  business  assigned  for 
particular  times: 

V.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Moderator  care¬ 
fully  to  keep  notes  of  the  several  articles  of  busi¬ 
ness  which  may  be  assigned  for  particular  days, 
and  to  call  them  up  at  the  time  appointed. 

Moderator  discussing  and  deciding  points  of  order: 

VI.  The  Moderator  may  speak  to  points  of 
order,  in  preference  to  other  members,  rising 
from  his  seat  for  that  purpose ;  and  shall  decide 
questions  of  order,  subject  to  an  appeal  to  the 
judicatory  by  any  two  members. 

Moderator  appointing  committees  and  Vice-Moder¬ 
ator: 

VII.  The  Moderator  shall  appoint  all  commit¬ 
tees,  except  in  those  cases  in  which  the  judicatory 
shall  decide  otherwise.  In  appointing  the  Chair¬ 
men  of  the  Standing  Committees,  the  Moderator 
may  appoint  a  Vice-Moderator,  who  may  occupy 


RULES  FOR  JUDICATORIES.  95 

the  chair  at  his  request,  and  otherwise  assist  him 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 

When  Moderator  may  or  may  not  vote: 

VIII.  When  a  vote  is  taken  by  ballot  in  an}/ 
judicatory,  the  Moderator  shall  vote  with  the 
other  members ;  but  he  shall  not  vote  in  any  other 
case,  unless  the  judicatory  be  equally  divided; 
when,  if  he  does  not  choose  to  vote,  the  question 
shall  be  lost. 

Committee  Chairmanship: 

IX.  The  person  first  named  on  any  committee 
shall  be  considered  as  the  chairman  thereof, 
whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  convene  the  committee ; 
and,  in  case  of  his  absence  or  inability  to  act,  the 
second  named  member  shall  take  his  place  and 
perform  his  duties. 

Clerk  to  form  complete  roll  for  Moderator: 

X.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Clerk,  as  soon  as 
possible  after  the  commencement  of  the  sessions 
of  every  judicatory,  to  form  a  complete  roll  of  the 
members  present,  and  put  the  same  into  the  hands 
of  the  Moderator.  And  it  shall  also  be  the  duty 
of  the  Clerk,  whenever  any  additional  members 
take  their  seats,  to  add  their  names,  in  their 
proper  places,  to  the  said. roll. 

Duties  of  Stated  Clerk  and  Committee  on  Bills  and 
Overtures: 

XI.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Clerk  immedi¬ 
ately  to  file  all  papers,  in  the  order  in  which  they 


g6  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

have  been  read,  with  proper  endorsements,  and  to 
keep  them  in  perfect  order.  The  Stated  Clerk 
shall  receive  all  overtures,  memorials  and  miscel¬ 
laneous  papers  addressed  to  the  judicatory;  shall 
make  record  of  the  same  and  deliver  them  to  the 
Committee  on  Bills  and  Overtures  for  appropriate 
disposition  or  reference.  This  committee  shall 
have  the  floor  on  the  reassembling  of  the  judica¬ 
tory  after  each  adjournment,  to  report  its  recom¬ 
mendations  as  to  orders  of  business  or  reference 
of  papers,  and  this  right  of  the  committee  shall 
take  precedence  of  the  Orders  of  the  Day.  This 
committee  shall  report  the  papers  retained  by  it 
as  well  as  those  recommended  for  reference  to 
other  committees,  and  no  committee  shall  report 
on  matters  which  have  not  been  referred  to  it  bv 

wf 

the  judicatory. 

Minutes  of  last  meeting: 

XII.  The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  of  the 
judicatory  shall  be  presented  at  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  its  sessions,  and,  if  requisite,  read  and 
corrected. 

Unfinished  business: 

XIII.  Business  left  unfinished  at  the  last  sit¬ 
ting  is  ordinarily  to  be  taken  up  first. 

Motions  seconded,  repeated,  read  aloud,  written: 

XIV.  A  motion  made  must  be  seconded,  and 
afterwards  repeated  by  the  Moderator,  or  read 
aloud,  before  it  is  debated ;  and  every  motion  shall 


RULES  FOR  JUDICATORIES.  97 

be  reduced  to  writing,  if  the  Moderator  or  any 
member  require  it. 

Withdrawal  of  a  motion: 

XV.  Any  member  who  shall  have  made  a 
motion  shall  have  liberty  to  withdraw  it,  with  the 
consent  of  his  second,  before  any  debate  has  taken 
place  thereon ;  but  not  afterwards,  without  the 
leave  of  the  judicatory. 

Dividing  a  motion: 

XVI.  If  a  motion  under  debate  contain  several 
parts,  any  two  members  may  have  it  divided,  and 
a  question  taken  on  each  part. 

Motions  for  filling  blanks: 

XVII.  When  various  motions  are  made  with 
respect  to  the  filling  of  blanks  with  particular 
numbers  or  times,  the  question  shall  always  be 
first  taken  on  the  highest  number  and  the  longest 
time. 

Motions  put  without  debate,  and  those  on  which 
members  may  speak  but  once  or  twice: 

XVIII.  Motions  to  lay  on  the  table,  to  take 
up  business,  to  adjourn,  and  the  call  for  the  pre¬ 
vious  question,  shall  be  put  without  debate ;  but 
it  shall  not  be  in  order  for  any  one  debating  an¬ 
other  motion  to  propose  the  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  or  the  previous  question,  at  the  close  of  his 
remarks,  unless  he  shall  obtain  the  floor  again  for 
that  purpose.  On  questions  of  orders,  postpone¬ 
ment,  or  commitment,  no  member  shall  speak 


98  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

more  than  once.  On  all  other  questions,  each 
member  may  speak  twice,  but  not  oftener  without 
express  leave  of  the  judicatory. 

Motions  admissible  when  a  question  is  under  debate: 

XIX.  When  a  question  is  under  debate,  no 
motion  shall  be  received,  unless  to  adjourn,  to  lay 
on  the  table,  to  postpone  indefinitely,  to  postpone 
to  a  day  certain,  to  commit,  or  to  amend ;  which 
several  motions  shall  have  precedence  in  the  order 
in  which  they  are  herein  arranged ;  and  the  mo¬ 
tion  for  adjournment  shall  always  be  in  order. 

Amendments  and  substitutes: 

XX.  An  amendment,  and  also  an  amendment 
to  an  amendment,  may  be  moved  on  any  motion  ; 
but  a  motion  to  amend  an  amendment  to  an 
amendment  shall  not  be  in  order.  Action  on 
amendments  shall  precede  action  on  the  original 
motion.  A  substitute  shall  be  treated  as  an 
amendment. 

Motions  to  lay  on  the  table: 

XXI.  A  distinction  shall  be  observed  between 
a  motion  to  lay  on  the  table  for  the  present  and 
a  motion  to  lay  on  the  table  unconditionally ,  viz. : 
A  motion  to  lay  on  the  table  for  the  present,  shall 
be  taken  without  debate ;  and,  if  carried  in  the 
affirmative,  the  effect  shall  be  to  place  the  sub¬ 
ject  on  the  docket,  and  it  may  be  taken  up  and 
considered  at  any  subsequent  time.  But  a  mo¬ 
tion  to  lay  on  the  table  unconditionally  shall  be 
taken  without  debate;  and,  if  carried  in  the 


RULES  FOR  JUDICATORIES.  99 

affirmative,  it  shall  not  be  in  order  to  take  up 
the  subject  during  the  same  meeting  of  the  judi-  . 
catory,  without  a  vote  of  reconsideration. 

The  previous  question: 

XXII.  The  previous  question  shall  be  put  in 
this  form,  namely,  Shall  the  main  question  be 
now  put?  It  shall  only  be  admitted  when  de¬ 
manded  by  a  majority  of  the  members  present; 
and  the  effect  shall  be  to  put  an  end  to  all  debate 
and  bring  the  body  to  a  direct  vote:  First,  on  a 
motion  to  commit  the  subject  under  consideration 
(if  such  motion  shall  have  been  made)  ;  secondly, 
if  the  motion  for  commitment  does  not  prevail,  on 
pending  amendments ;  and  lastly,  on  the  main 
question. 

Motion  to  reconsider: 

XXIII.  A  question  shall  not  be  again  called  up 
or  reconsidered  at  the  same  sessions  of  the  judi¬ 
catory  at  which  it  has  been  decided,  unless  by  the 
consent  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  who  were 
present  at  the  decision ;  and  unless  the  motion  to 
reconsider  be  made  and  seconded  by  persons  who 
voted  with  the  majority.  (For  reconsideration 
of  a  matter  the  second  time,  see  p.  hi.) 

Indefinite  postponement: 

XXIV.  A  subject  which  has  been  indefinitely 
postponed,  either  by  the  operation  of  the  previous 
question  or  by  a  motion  for  indefinite  postpone¬ 
ment,  shall  not  be  again  called  up  during  the  same 


100  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

sessions  of  the  judicatory,  unless  by  the  consent 
of  three- fourths  of  the  members  who  were  pres¬ 
ent  at  the  decision. 

Members  declining  to  vote: 

XXV.  Members  ought  not,  without  weighty 
reasons,  to  decline  voting,  as  this  practice  might 
leave  the  decision  of  very  interesting  questions 
to  a  small  proportion  of  the  judicatory.  Silent 
members,  unless  excused  from  voting,  must  be 
considered  as  acquiescing  with  the  majority. 

Effect  of  commencing  to  take  the  vote,  and  of  de¬ 
ciding  to  vote  at  a  definite  time: 

XXVI .  When  the  Moderator  has  commenced 
taking  the  vote,  no  further  debate  or  remark  shall 
be  admitted,  unless  there  has  evidently  been  a 
mistake,  in  which  case  the  mistake  shall  be  recti¬ 
fied,  and  the  Moderator  shall  recommence  taking 
the  vote.  If  the  House  shall  pass  the  motion  to 
“vote  on  a  given  subject  at  a  time  named,” 
speeches  shall  thereafter  be  limited  to  ten  min¬ 
utes.  Should  the  hour  for  adjournment  or  recess 
arrive  during  the  voting,  it  shall  be  postponed  to 
finish  the  vote,  unless  the  majority  shall  vote  to 
adjourn;  in  which  case  the  voting  shall,  on  the 
reassembling  of  the  House,  take  precedence  of 
all  other  business  till  it  is  finished.  Under  this 
rule  the  “yeas  and  nays”  shall  not  be  called  ex¬ 
cept  on  the  final  motion  to  adopt  as  a  whole. 
This  motion  to  fix  a  time  for  voting  shall  be 
put  without  debate. 


RULES  FOR  JUDICATORIES. 


IOI 


Calling  for  the  yeas  and  nays,  or  for  a  division: 

XXVII.  The  yeas  and  nays  on  any  question 
shall  not  be  recorded,  unless  required  by  one- 
third  of  the  members  present.  If  division  is 
called  for  on  any  vote,  it  shall  be  by  a  rising  vote 
without  a  count.  If  on  such  a  rising  vote  the 
Moderator  is  unable  to  decide,  or  a  quorum  rise 
to  second  a  call  for  “tellers,”  then  the  vote  shall 
be  taken  by  rising,  and  the  count  made  by  tellers, 
who  shall  pass  through  the  aisles  and  report  to 
the  Moderator  the  number  voting  on  each  side. 

Personal  reflections  not  permissible: 

XXVIII.  No  member,  in  the  course  of  debate, 
shall  be  allowed  to  indulge  in  personal  reflections. 

More  than  one  rising  to  speak  at  the  same  time,  and 
opposite  sides  alternating  in  debate:  • 

XXIX.  If  more  than  one  member  rise  to  speak 
at  the  same  time,  the  member  who  is  most  dis¬ 
tant  from  the  Moderator’s  chair  shall  speak  first. 
In  the  discussion  of  all  matters  where  the  senti¬ 
ment  of  the  House  is  divided,  it  is  proper  that  the 
floor  should  be  occupied  alternately  by  those  rep¬ 
resenting  the  different  sides  of  the  question. 

More  than  three  members  standing  at  the  same  time: 

XXX.  When  more  than  three  members  of  the 
judicatory  shall  be  standing  at  the  same  time,  the 
Moderator  shall  require  all  to  take  their  seats,  the 
person  only  excepted  who  may  be  speaking. 


102  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

\ 

Speakers  to  observe  decorum  and  respect: 

XXXI.  Every  member,  when  speaking,  shall 
address  himself  to  the  Moderator,  and  shall  treat 
his  fellow-members,  and  especially  the  Moderator 
with  decorum  and  respect. 

Speakers  not  to  be  interrupted: 

XXXII.  No  speaker  shall  be  interrupted,  un¬ 
less  he  be  out  of  order,  or  for  the  purpose  of 
correcting  mistakes  or  misrepresentations. 

Members  to  refrain  from  private  conversation: 

XXXIII.  Without  express  permission,  no 
member  of  a  judicatory,  while  business  is  going 
on,  shall  engage  in  private  conversation ;  nor 
shall  members  address  one  another,  nor  any  per¬ 
son  present,  but  through  the  Moderator. 

Gravity  and  dignity  commended:  prolix  and  desultory 
speeches  to  be  avoided: 

XXXIV.  It  is  indispensable  that  members  of 
ecclesiastical  judicatories  maintain  great  gravity 
and  dignity  while  judicially  convened;  that  they 
attend  closely  in  their  speeches  to  the  subject 
under  consideration,  and  avoid  prolix  and  desul¬ 
tory  harangues ;  and  when  they  deviate  from  the 
subject,  it  is  the  privilege  of  any  member,  and 
the  duty  of  the  Moderator,  to  call  them  to  order. 

Disorderly  members  subject  to  reproof: 

XXXV.  If  any  member  act,  in  any  respect,  in 
a  disorderly  manner,  it  shall  be  the  privilege  of 
any  member,  and  the  duty  of  the  Moderator,  to 
call  him  to  order. 


RULES  FOR  JUDICATORIES.  IO3 

Right  of  appeal  from  Moderator’s  decision: 

XXXVI.  If  any  member  consider  himself  ag¬ 
grieved  by  a  decision  of  the  Moderator,  it  shall  be 
his  privilege  to  appeal  to  the  judicatory,  and  the 
question  on  the  appeal  shall  be  taken  without 
debate. 

Leave  of  absence: 

XXXVII.  No  member  shall  retire  from  any 
judicatory  without  the  leave  of  the  Moderator, 
nor  withdraw  from  it  to  return  home  without 
the  consent  of  the  judicatory. 

Private  sessions: 

XXXVIII.  All  judicatories  have  a  right  to  sit 
in  private  on  business  which,  in  their  judgment, 
ought  not  to  be  matter  of  public  speculation. 

Interlocutory  meetings: 

XXXIX.  Besides  the  right  to  sit  judicially  in 
private,  whenever  they  think  proper  to  do  so,  all 
judicatories  have  a  right  to  hold  what  are  com¬ 
monly  called  “interlocutory  meetings,”  in  which 
members  may  freely  converse  together,  without 
the  formalities  which  are  usually  necessary  in 
judicial  proceedings. 

Sitting  in  Judicial  capacity: 

XL.  Whenever  a  judicatory  is  about  to  sit  in  a 
judicial  capacity,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Moderator  solemnly  to  announce,  from  the  chair, 
that  the  body  is  about  to  pass  to  the  consideration 
of  the  business  assigned  for  trial,  and  to  enjoin 


104  manual  of  the  general  assembly. 

on  the  members  to  recollect  and  regard  their  high 
character  as  judges  of  a  court  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  solemn  duty  in  which  they  are  about  to 
act. 

Committee  on  Judicial  Business: 

XLI.  It  is  expedient  that  judicatories  appoint 
a  Standing  Committee,  to  be  known  as  “the 
Committee  on  Judicial  Business,”  to  whom  shall 
be  referred  all  papers  and  questions  of  a  judicial 
nature,  and  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  recommend 
to  the  judicatory  answers  to  judicial  questions  and 
orders  of  procedure  in  all  judicial  cases.  In  the 
General  Assembly,  the  province  of  the  Committee 
on  Judicial  Business  shall  be  to  pass  upon  the 
question  of  the  regularity  of  the  papers  and  the 
record  in  all  cases  referred  to  it  by  the  Assembly ; 
to  determine,  upon  the  face  of  the  papers,  whether 
questions  of  doctrine  or  Constitution  are  raised,' 
and  if,  prima  facie,  there  is  a  case,  to  recommend 
the  same  to  the  Assembly  for  reference  to  Judi¬ 
cial  Commissions.  The  members  of  the  Commit¬ 
tee  on  Judicial  Business  are  not  debarred  by  their 
appointment  from  sitting  and  voting  as  members 
of  the  judicatory. 

Permanent  officers  have  the  rights  of  corresponding 
members: 

XLII.  The  permanent  officers  of  a  judicatory 
shall  have  the  rights  of  corresponding  members 
in  matters  touching  their  several  offices. 


RULES  FOR  JUDICATORIES.  105 

Manner  of  closing  final  session: 

XLIII.  The  Moderator  of  every  -judicatory 
above  the  Church  Session,  in  finally  closing  its 
sessions,  in  addition  to  prayer,  may  cause  to  be 
sung  an  appropriate  psalm  or  hymn,  and  shall 
pronounce  the  apostolical  benediction. 

Procedure  in  taking  cases  from  inferior  courts  to 
the  General  Assembly: 

XLIV.  Whenever  a  case  is  to  be  taken  from, 
an  inferior  judicatory  to  the  General  Assembly, 
the  Stated  Clerk  of  such  inferior  judicatory  shall, 
at  least  twenty  days  before  the  meeting  of  the 
General  Assembly,  send  a  notice  concerning  such 
case  to  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Assembly,  who 
shall  forthwith  notify  the  Chairman  of  the  Per¬ 
manent  Judicial  Commission,  unless  the  General 
Assembly  shall  have  ordered  otherwise,  that  the 
services  of  the  Commission  will  be  needed  at  the 
approaching  Assembly;  but  if  no  such  notice 
shall  be  received  by  the  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly,  he  shall  forthwith  notify  the 
Chairman  of  the  Permanent  Judicial  Commission 
that  the  services  of  the  Commission  will  not  be 
needed  at  the  approaching  Assembly. 

Suspending  the  rules: 

XLV.  These  rules  may  be  suspended  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  of  the  judicatory,  upon  motion  duly 
made. 


XL  Additional  Rules 


Drawn  from  General  Practice  and 
Assembly  Usage. 

Adjournment.  The  motion  to  adjourn  is  not  in 
order  when  a  member  has  the  floor. 

The  motion  to  adjourn,  when  made  at  the 
last  sitting  upon  each  day,  should  always  in¬ 
clude  the  time  on  the  day  following  to  which 
the  body  adjourns. 

The  business  interrupted  by  adjournment 
or  recess  is  the  first  in  order  after  the  body 
reassembles,  unless  there  be  a  special  order 
on  the  docket. 

See  Recess. 

Amendment.  An  amendment  may  be  laid  on 
the  table  without  affecting  another  amend¬ 
ment  or  the  original  motion.  This  has  been 
for  years  the  practice  in  the  General  As¬ 
sembly. 

Appeal  from  the  Cpiair.  This  appeal  is  ordi¬ 
narily  put  in  the  following  manner:  “Shall 
the  decision  of  the  Chair  stand  as  the  deci¬ 
sion  of  the  Assembly?”  A  tie  vote  sustains 
the  Chair. 

Committee.  Appointment.  When  a  Committee 
is  appointed  to  deliberate  upon  a  subject,  it  is 

06) 


ADDITIONAL  RULES.  IO7 

the  rule  to  appoint  thereon  members  holding 
different  views. 

When  a  Committee  is  appointed  to  carry 
out  a  decision  of  the  House,  it  is  customary 
to  appoint  thereon  only  those  who  can  sup¬ 
port  the  action  taken. 

When  a  special  Committee  is  appointed,  it 
is  customary  to  place  on  it  the  mover  and 
seconder  of  the  motion  by  which  it  was  ap¬ 
pointed.  This,  however,  is  not  obligatory. 

Chairman.  The  chairman  of  a  Committee 
may  debate  and  vote,  and  may  also  act  as 
clerk. 

Discharge.  Committees  in  legislative 
bodies  are  discharged  by  the  reception  of 
their  report.  In  the  General  Assembly,  how¬ 
ever,  the  Standing  Committees  are  dis¬ 
charged  at  the  final  session  by  vote  of  the 
House,  and  special  Committees  are  not  re¬ 
garded  as  discharged  until  the  close  of  the 
Assembly. 

Excuse  from  Service.  When  persons  are 
competent  to  serve,  the  appointing  body  only 
can  excuse  from  service. 

Minority  Report.  The  minority  of  a  Com¬ 
mittee  may  submit  their  views  in  writing, 
either  together  or  each  member  separately, 
but  a  minority  report  can  be  considered  and 
acted  upon  only  by  moving  it  as  a  substitute 
for  the  report  of  the  Committee. 


I08  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Quorum.  The  quorum  of  a  Committee  is, 
in  legislative  practice,  a  majority  of  the 
members. 

Reception  of  Reports.  The  word  accept, 
used  for  the  reception  of  reports,  does  not 
imply  adoption. 

Reports.  The  report  of  a  Committee, 
when  received  or  accepted  by  the  Assembly, 
is  the  property  of  the  Assembly,  and  should 
be  handed  to  the  Stated  Clerk,  with  all  ac¬ 
companying  papers.  See,  also,  Minority  Re¬ 
port. 

Sub-committees.  Committees  may  appoint 
Sub-committees. 

Vacancies.  Committees  cannot  fill  vacan¬ 
cies  in  their  membership.  Only  the  Assem¬ 
bly  or  the  Moderator  can  act. 

Withdrawal.  Committees  must  receive 
permission  from  the  House  to  withdraw. 

Committee  of  the  Whole.  Committees  of  the 
Whole  are  substantially  what  are  designated 
in  Rule  XXXIX,  p.  103,  as  “interlocutory 
meetings.”  The  following  pertinent  rule  has 
been  approved  in  church  courts :  “Every  court 
has  a  right  to  resolve  itself  into  a  Committee 
of  the  Whole,  or  to  hold  what  are  commonly 
called  interlocutory  meetings,  in  which  mem¬ 
bers  may  freely  converse  together  without 
the  formalities  necessary  in  their  ordinary 
proceedings.  In  all  such  cases  the  Modera¬ 
tor  shall  name  the  member  who  is  to  preside 


ADDITIONAL  RULES. 


109 


•  as  Chairman.  If  the  Committee  be  unable  to 
agree,  a  motion  may  be  made  that  the  Com¬ 
mittee  rise,  and  upon  the  adoption  of  such 
motion  the  Moderator  shall  resume  the  Chair 
and  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee  shall 
report  what  has  been  done  and  ask  that  the 
Committee  be  discharged,  which  being  al- 
lowed,  the  matter  shall  be  dropped.  If  the 
Committee  shall  agree  upon  the  report  to  be 
made,  or  have  made  progress  in  the  same 
without  coming  to  a  conclusion,  the  Com¬ 
mittee  may  rise,  report  what  has  been  done, 
and,  if  the  case  require,  may  ask  leave  to  sit 
again ;  or  the  Committee  of  the  Whole  may 
be  dissolved,  and  the  question  considered  by 
the  court  in  the  usual  order  of  business.” 

Debate.  The  member  presenting  a  motion  or 
submitting  a  report  has  a  right  to  close  the 
debate. 

Debate  is  not  in  order  on  debatable  mo¬ 
tions  after  the  Moderator  has  commenced 
taking  the  vote  (p.  100,  R.  XXVI). 

Elections.  In  all  elections  it  requires  a  majority 
of  the  votes  cast  to  elect. 

Explanation.  A  personal  explanation  is  not  a 
“question  of  privilege”  unless  it  affects  the 
rights  of  a  member. 

See,  also,  Privilege. 


IIO  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Floor.  A  member  who  yields  the  floor  for  any 
purpose  is  entitled  thereto  upon  the  resump¬ 
tion  of  the  business  in  connection  with  which 
he  was  speaking. 

The  mover  of  a  motion  is,  by  courtesy,  en¬ 
titled  to  the  floor,  if  he  so  desire,  after  the 
Moderator  has  stated  the  question. 

Jurisdiction  over  Members.  Every  legislative 
body  has  the  right  to  call  to  account  its  mem¬ 
bers  for  objectionable  conduct,  and  to  inflict 
adequate  penalties. 

Minority  Report.  See  Committees. 

Minutes.  Minutes  are  to  be  approved  by  a 
motion  duly  adopted. 

Minutes  may  be  expunged  by  a  unanimous 
vote. 

Minutes  may  be  corrected  by  a  majority 
vote. 

Motions.  See  Floor. 

Nominations.  A  motion  may  be  made  to  close 
nominations  for  any  office,  whenever  time 
sufficient  has  been  given  for  the  presentation 
of  names. 

It  is  competent  for  the  Assembly,  after  a 
vote  has  been  taken  for  an  office  without 
result,  to  reopen  nominations,  placing  addi¬ 
tional  candidates  before  the  house. 


ADDITIONAL  RULES. 


Ill 


Order.  A  member  called  to  order  does  not  yield 
his  right  to  the  floor,  but  should  take  his  seat 
until  the  question  of  order  is  decided,  when 
he  can  resume  the  floor. 

A  second  question  of  order  cannot  be 
raised  until  the  first  is  decided. 

Personal  Interests.  Members  may  not  vote 
on  questions  affecting  their  personal  in¬ 
terests. 

Privilege,  Questions  of.  These  are  questions 
on  subjects  which  affect  the  rights  of  the 
Assembly  or  of  individual  members,  and  de¬ 
mand  immediate  attention.  They  have  pri¬ 
ority  over  all  questions  except  those  to  fix  the 
time  for  the  next  sitting  and  to  adjourn. 
The  Chair  may  decide  what  questions  of  this 
kind  to  entertain  and  their  priority,  subject 
to  appeal. 

Privileged  Motions.  In  ordinary  legislative 
business  the  privileged  motions  are  ( I )  to 
fix  the  time  for  next  sitting,  (2)  to  adjourn, 
(3)  questions  of  privilege,  (4)  to  take  up 
special  orders. 

Recess.  At  the  close  of  a  session,  provided  an¬ 
other  session  is  to  follow  on  the  same  day,  it 
is  customary  to  move  that  a  recess  be  taken. 

Reconsideration.  A  matter  may  be  reconsid¬ 
ered  the  second  time,  provided  that  the  mo¬ 
tion  is  made  by  one  voting  in  the  affirmative, 


1 12  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


seconded  by  one  voting  in  the  affirmative, 
and  carried  by  a  two-thirds  majority  of  those 
previously  present  and  voting  on  the  measure 
when  it  was  previously  before  the  Assembly, 
p.  99;  Minutes,  1908,  p.  142). 

Report.  See  Committee. 

Session.  This  term  is  used  for  a  sitting  of  the 
Assembly  for  a  portion  of  a  day. 

The  motion  to  fix  time  for  the  next  session 
is  not  debatable. 

Vote.  Should  be  retaken  if  there  is  evident  er¬ 
ror.  Should  be  retaken  when  the  tellers  dis¬ 
agree. 

A  member  cannot  be  excused  from  voting 
after  the  negative  of  a  question  is  put.  The 
proper  time  to  make  the  request  is  immedi¬ 
ately  at  the  close  of  debate,  or  when  the  name 
of  a  member  is  called  on  a  yea  and  nay  vote. 

See  Personal  Interests. 


X.  Index. 


Absence,  Leave  of,  54,  103 

Adjournment,  No  debate,  97 

Business  interrupted  by,  106 
Contents  of  motion,  106 
Lack  of  quorum,  94 
When  in  order,  106 
When  not  in  order,  106 
See,  also,  Dissolution. 

Advisory  Members,  40 

Alliance  of  the  Reformed  Churches,  Churches  in,  88 
Committee  to  nominate  delegates,  88 
Constitution,  88 
Delegates,  88,  Expenses,  89 
General  Councils,  88 
Representation,  Basis  of,  88 
Vacancies,  Committee  on,  89 

Amendments,  to  the  Constitution, 

Law  as  to  enactment  and  declaration,  5,  6 

Amendments  to  Motions,  98,  106 
May  be  laid  on  the  table,  106 

Annual  Minutes,  31 

Annual  Reports,  31 

Appeals,  From  decision  of  Moderator,  103 
Form  of  question,  106 
Heard  without  debate,  103 
Two  members  may  make,  94 

Appeals,  Judicial,  in  general  (see  Constitution) 
Consultation  with  Corns,  on  Review,  49 
Stated  Clerk,  to  be  transmitted  by,  105 
Time  of  Lodgment  of,  105 

Apportionments,  5 7,  58 

Arrangements,  Committee  of,  84 
Duties,  84 

(11 3) 


1 14  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Bills  and  Overtures,  Standing  Committee,  Appoint¬ 
ment,  45 

Business,  orders  of, 

Cannot  suppress  overtures,  45 
Complaints  may  lie  against,  45 
Distribution  of  papers,  46 
Duties  of  Stated  Clerk,  95 

Bills  and  Overtures,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  45 
New  business,  may  introduce,  by  two-thirds  vote, 
46 

Papers  retained  by  it,  to  report,  47,  96 
Papers  to  be  delivered  by  Stated  Clerk,  46,  96 
Petitions,  etc.,  method  of  presentation,  47 
Right  to  the  floor,  96 
See,  also,  Overtures. 

Bills  of  Commissioners,  79 

Blanks,  Filling  of,  9 7 

Boards,  The,  Annual  Reports,  74 
Appointment,  74 
Assembly,  power  of,  74 
Constitutional  Provisions,  74 
Every-member  plan,  Committee  on,  73 
Members,  75 
Minutes,  74 

No  power  to  judge  ministers,  76 
Officers,  elections  of  salaried,  76 
Officers  cannot  be  members,  75 
Reference  of  Reports,  74 
Reports  to  be  bound  in  volumes,  75 
Treasurers,  74 
Vacancies,  75 

Budget,  Executive  Commission,  12-15 
Finance  Committee,  56-59 

Business,  Conduct  of,  94 

Moderator’s  notes,  94 
Motion  to  take  up,  no  debate,  97 
Order  after  adjournment,  105 
Unfinished,  96 
See,  also,  Moderator. 


INDEX 


1 15 


Chair,  see  Moderator. 

Chairman  of  Committee,  95 

Absence  of,  how  provided  for,  95 

Chaplains  in  the  U.  S.  Army  and  Navy, 

Special  Committee,  Members,  67 

Christian  Life  and  Work, 

Special  Committee,  Members,  66 
Church  Cooperation  and  Union, 

Special  Committee,  Members,  67,  68 
Church  Erection,  Board  of, 

Officers,  see  Cover. 

Church  Erection,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  51 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  52 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  52 

Churches  of  Christ  in  America.  See  Federal  Council. 
Clerks,  Appointment  of,  53 

Corresponding  members,  104 
Duties  of,  28-32 
Papers,  to  file  all,  95 
Roll,  to  add  names  to,  95 
Roll,  to  form  complete,  95 

See,  also,  Permanent ,  Stated  and  Temporary 
Clerks. 

Commission,  to  General  Assembly,  Form,  37 

Commission,  Defective,  39 

When  in  due  form  is  valid,  39 

Commissioners,  Appointment,  36 
Absence  of,  40 
Adjourned  meetings,  39 

Alternates,  may  take  place  of  principals,  36,  39 

Alternates  to  be  elected,  36 

Appointments  mandatory,  38 

Appointments  in  excess,  39 

Attendance  of,  40 

Bills,  79 

Declining  to  vote,  100 
Defective  commissions,  39 
Enrollment  necessary,  36,  38 
Expenses,  37 


Il6  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Commissioners  (continued) 

Foreign  Presbyteries,  59 
Form  of  Commission,  37 
Newly  formed  Presbyteries,  38 
Presentation  of  commissions,  36 
Ratio  of  representation,  38 
Report  to  Presbytery,  40 
Roll,  95 

Ruling  Elders,  38 
Time  of  election,  38 

Commissions,  Permanent  Committee  on,  38 
See  Executive,  Judicial,  Special. 

Commit,  Motion  to,  98 
Speak  but  once,  97 
Committee  of  the  Whole,  108 
Committees,  Appointment,  106 
Chairman,  107 
Discharge,  107 
Excuse  from  service,  107 
Membership,  how  constituted,  107 
Minority  reports,  107 
Quorum,  108 

Committees,  Reception  of  reports,  108 
Reports,  108 
Sub-Committees,  108 
Vacancies,  108 
Withdrawal,  108 

See,  also,  Permanent  Committees,  Special  Com¬ 
mittees,  and  Standing  Committees. 
Complaints,  In  general, 

Consultation  with  Corns,  on  Review,  49 
Stated  Clerk,  to  be  transmitted  by,  105 
Time  of  lodgment  with  higher  judicatory,  105 
Constitution,  Committee  to  supervise  editions  of,  31 
Constitutional  Provisions,  General,  5 
Contents,  4 

Conversation,  forbidden,  102 
Correspondence,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  53 
Regulations  for  Delegates,  54 
Corresponding  Bodies.  See  Delegates. 

Members,  104 


INDEX 


II 7 


Council,  Reformed  Churches  in  America,  89 
Delegates,  90 
Expenses,  90 
Meetings,  90 
Councils.  See  Synods. 

Derate,  109 

Delegates  to  corresponding  bodies,  92 
From  corresponding  bodies,  92 
Presbyterian  Alliance,  88,  89 
Digest  of  the  General  Assembly, 

Special  Committee,  Members,  68 
Dissolution  of  the  Assembly,  27 
Division,  of  motions,  101 

Of  the  house,  on  a  vote,  101 
Of  time  in  debate,  101 

Education,  General  Board  of, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Education,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  51 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  51 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  51 
Electing  Sections,  43 
Elections,  majority  necessary,  109 
Evangelism,  Permanent  Committee, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Every-Member  Plan,  Committee  on, 
Members,  73. 

Executive  Commission, 

Boards,  conference  with,  15 
Budget,  12-15 

Committee  on  Supplies,  10 
Constitutional  Provisions,  7  . 

Election,  8 

Members,  16;  absence,  8 
Membership,  7 

Nomination  of  Members,  43,  44 
Officers  and  Meetings,  9 
Powers,  9 

Reports  of  Standing  Committees,  11 
Vacancies,  8 


Il8  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Explanations,  109 

Extraordinary  Meetings,  Assembly,  23 

Federal  Council,  91 
Delegates,  91 
Expenses,  91 

Finance,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  55 

Assembly’s  recommendations  for  funds,  56-59 
Day  and  hour  for  report,  56 

Financial  System,  78 

Finance  Committee,  duties,  82 
Stated  Clerk,  duties,  80 
Treasurer,  duties,  78 

Floor,  mover  of  motion,  no 

Recognition  of  members,  101 
Calls  to  order,  94,  in 

Foreign  Churches,  Correspondence  with,  92 
See,  also,  Delegates. 

Foreign  Ministers,  Rule  as  to  reception  of,  49,  50 

Foreign  Missions,  Board  of, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Foreign  Missions,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  50 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  50 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  50 

Freedmen,  Board  of  Missions  for, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Freedmen,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  52 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  53 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  53 

General  Assembly,  Adjournment,  27 
Advisory  Members,  40 
Amendments  to  Constitution,  5,  6 
Annual  Meeting,  85 
Arrangements,  Committee  on,  84 
Composition,  36 

Constitutional  Provisions,  General,  5 
Corresponding  Members,  40 
Dissolution,  27 

Extraordinary  meetings,  23 ;  Meetings,  84 
Moderator,  22-27,  85 
Place  of  meeting,  84 


INDEX 


HQ 


General  Assembly  (continued) 

Platform  notices,  87 
Popular  meetings,  86 
Power  over  Missions,  74 
Prayer  at,  85 

Pre-Assembly  Conferences,  86 
Quorum,  94 
Religious  Services,  85 
Sessions  of,  84 

Synod  to  propose  measures  to,  47 
Treasurer,  32 
Trustees,  33 
Vice-Moderator,  27 
General  Board  of  Education, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

General  Council  of  Presbyterian  and  Reformed 
Churches  in  America,  89,  90 

Home  Missions,  Board  of, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Home  Missions,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  50 
Limit  of  Time  for  Report,  50 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  50 

Hymnal  in  use,  86 

\ 

Interlocutory  Meetings,  103,  108 
International  Friendship,  World  Alliance,  Commis¬ 
sion  on,  members,  71,  72 

Judicatories, 

Closing  services  of,  105 
Interlocutory  meetings,  103 
Judicial  sessions,  103 
Minutes,  96 
Permanent  officers,  104 
Private  sessions,  103 
Roll  of,  95 

Rules  of  Business  for,  93-106 
See,  also,  Members,  Moderator,  Motions,  Order, 
Vote. 


120  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Judicial  Business,  Standing  Committee,  47,  104 
Appeals  or  complaints,  49 
Appointment,  47 

Consultation  with  Corns,  on  Review,  49 
Duties,  48,  104 
Forms,  48,  49 

Judicial  Commission,  Permanent, 

Constitutional  Provisions,  16 

Decisions,  17 

Election,  17 

Meetings,  19 

Members,  21 

Officers,  21 

Procedure,  18 

Review  by  General  Assembly,  16,  17 

Rules,  19,  20 

Services,  notice  of,  18 

Stated  Clerk  of  General  Assembly,  19 

Vacancies,  19 

Judicial  Commissions,  Special,  Election,  rules,  etc,  17 

Judicial  Sessions,  103 

Jurisdiction, 

Over  members,  no 

Korean  Missionaries,  Commission  on,  members,  68 

Lay  on  the  Table,  Motion  to,  no  debate,  98 

Leave  of  Absence,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  54 
Regulations,  54,  103 

Lord's  Supper,  85 

Meeting,  Permanent  Committee  on  Place  of,  84 
Committee  of  Arrangements,  84 

Meetings,  Extraordinary,  Assembly,  23 
Annual,  84 

Members,  Advisory,  40 

Aggrieved  at  decisions,  93,  103 
Commissioners,  36-40 
Conduct  of,  102 
Corresponding,  104 
Declining  to  vote,  100 


INDEX 


121 


Members  (continued) 

Deviating  from  subject,  102 
Disorderly,  102 

Moderator,  to  address  the,  102 
Order  in  speaking,  101 
Personal  reflections,  101 
Retiring  from  judicatory, 

Senior,  91 
Silent,  100 
To  be  seated,  101 

Voting,  of  Judicatory,  who  decline,  100 
See,  also,  Commissioners. 

Memorials,  To  be  received  by  the  Clerk,  96 
Men's  Work,  Permanent  Committee, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Men's  Work,  Standing  Committee, 

Duties,  55 

Day  and  hour  for  Report,  55 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  55 
Mileage,  Standing  Committee,  Appointment,  56 
Duties,  56-59 
Mileage  System,  56 

Apportionments,  58 

Ministerial  Relief  and  Sustentation,  Standing  Com¬ 
mittee  : 

Duties,  52 

Day  and  hour  for  Report,  52 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  52 
See,  also,  Relief,  Board  of. 

Ministerial  Sustentation  Fund.  See  Relief,  Board  of 
Minority  Reports,  no 
Minutes  of  Judicatories, 

Presented,  96 
Approval,  no 
Correction,  no 
Expunged,  no 
Moderator, 

Absence,  action  in,  24,  93 
Adjourn  judicatory,  22 
Administrative  duties,  22 
Appeal  from  decisions,  93,  103 


122  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Moderator  (continued) 

Authority,  has  all,  22 

Business,  to  conduct  all,  94 

Business,  notes  of,  to  keep,  94 

Business,  to  call  up,  94 

Business,  to  propose,  22 

Chair,  when  to  take  the,  24,  93 

Chair,  when  to  withdraw  from,  26 

Circular  letter  for  special  meeting,  23 

Committees,  to  appoint,  26,  94 

Committees,  vacancies,  64 

Constitutional  Provisions,  22 

Convene  judicatory,  22,  23 

Dissolution  of  Assembly,  27 

Election,  23 

Induction  to  office,  25 

Letters,  official,  27 

Lord’s  Supper,  85 

Majority  elects,  25 

Member,  aggrieved,  103 

Members  to  address,  102 

Members  standing,  duty  when,  101 

Members  leaving,  can  prevent,  22 

Members  may  be  silenced,  22 

Motions  to  be  repeated  by,  96 

Nominations,  23 

Order,  to  preserve,  94 

Order,  to  speak  to  points  of,  94 

Order,  to  decide  points  of,  94 

Order,  call  speakers  to,  102 

Order,  call  members  to,  102 

Personalities,  shall  prevent,  22 

Powers,  22,  27 

Prayer,  open  with,  93 

Questions,  to  put,  23 

Sermon,  85 

Sessions,  judicial,  103 

Sessions,  closing,  105 

Term,  23 

Vice-Moderator,  to  appoint,  26 
Vote,  to  state  object  of,  23 


INDEX 


123 


Moderator  (continued) 

Vote,  by  ballot,  26,  95 

Vote,  casting,  23,  95 

Vote,  equally  divided,  23,  95 

Vote,  if  he  does  not,  question  lost,  23 

Vote,  when  he  cannot,  26,  95 

Warrant  for,  office,  22 

Motions,  Admissible  in  debate,  98 
Adjourn,  106 
Amendment,  98 

Appeal  from  Moderator,  93,  103 

Blanks,  filling  of,  9 7 

Business,  take  up,  97 

Commit,  97,  98 

Division,  97 

Floor,  right  to,  no 

Lay  on  table,  98 

Mover  of,  no 

Order  of,  98 

Postpone  indefinitely,  99 

Postpone  to  day  certain,  98 

Previous  question,  99 

Privileged,  in 

Read  aloud,  96 

Reconsider,  to,  99 

Reduced  to  writing,  96 

Seconded,  must  be,  96 

Speeches,  limit  to,  97,  98 

Substitute,  98 

Voting,  fix  time  for,  100 

Withdrawal,  97 

Motions,  without  debate : 

Adjourn,  97 

Appeal  from  Moderator,  103 
Business,  take  up,  97 
Lay  on  the  table,  98 
Previous  question,  99 
Voting,  fix  time  for,  100 

Narrative  of  Christian  Life  and  Work,  53 
Devotional  services,  86 


124  manual  of  the  general  assembly 


Narrative,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  53 

Necrology,  Ministerial,  53,  86 

New  Era  Debt,  Special  Committee, 

Members,  68,  69 
New  Era  Movement, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Special  Committee,  members,  69,  70 
Nominations,  no 

Officers,  2,  22 

Order,  Members  to  keep,  102 
Members  called  to,  in 
Moderator  to  preserve,  94 
Motions,  96 
Points  of,  94 

Questions  of,  speak  once,  97 
Overtures,  Committee  to  revise  phraseology  of,  31 
Must  be  presented  before  second  day,  47 
On  judicial  questions  in  thesi  not  to  be  answered, 
47 

Synods  may  propose,  47 

To  come  up  only  from  Synods  and  Presbyteries 
47 

To  the  Presbyteries,  29 

To  be  received  by  Stated  Clerk  and  printed,  47 

Papers,  Committee  to  revise  phraseology  of,  31 
Committee  on  Bills  and  Overtures,  46 
To  be  received  by  the  Stated  Clerk,  95 
Permant  Clerk  Emeritus,  2 

Permanent  Committees.  See  Evangelism ,  Mens 
Work,  Sabbath  Observance,  Vacancy  and 
Supply. 

Permanent  Officers,  Corresponding  Members,  104 

Personal  Interests,  no 

Place  of  Meeting  of  General  Assembly, 

Permanent  Committee  on,  84 
Platform  Notices,  87 
Polity,  Committee  on,  49 

Duties,  49,  50;  Rule  as  to  foreign  ministers,  49,  50 
Popular  Meetings,  86 


INDEX 


125 


Postpone,  indefinitely,  99 
To  a  day  certain,  98 
Prayer,  Opening  and  closing,  93,  105 
Pre-Assembly  Conferences,  86 
Preface,  3 

Presbyterian  Magazine,  Committee  on,  members,  73 
Previous  Question,  99 
Effect  of,  99 
How  put,  99 
Private  Sessions,  103 
Privilege,  Questions  of,  in 
Privileged  Motions,  i  i  i 
Professors.  See  Theological  Seminaries. 

Publication  and  S.  S.  Work,  Board  of, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Publication,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  51 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  51 
Limit  of  time  for  Report,  51 

Questions,  of  order,  Moderator  to  decide,  94 
Admitting  but  one  speech,  97 
Questions,  Admitting  two  speeches,  97 
Previous,  99 
Privilege,  m 

Quorum,  of  Assembly,  Lack  of,  94 
Of  Committees,  108 

Railroad  Arrangements,  28 
Recess,  iii 

Reconsideration,  of  a  question,  general,  99 
Of  a  motion  to  lay  on  the  table,  98 
Second  time,  iii 

Reformed  Churches  in  America.  See  Council. 

Relief  and  Sustentation,  Board  of, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

See,  also,  Ministerial  Relief. 

Religious  Services,  85 

Reorganization  and  Consolidation  of  Assembly  Agen¬ 
cies,  Special  Committee,  members,  70 
Reports,  Committees,  108;  Reception  of,  108 
Roll  of  Commissioners,  95 

Of  Standing  Committees,  42 


126  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 


Rules  for  Elections,  43 
Rules  for  Judicatories,  93 
Suspension  of  105 

Sabbath  Observance,  Permanent  Committee, 
Officers.  See  Cover. 

Sabbath-school  Work.  See  Publication. 
Secretaries,  Corresponding  Members,  104 
Seminaries.  See  Theological  Seminaries. 
Sessions,  Judicatory,  Minutes  of,  96 
Definition,  112 
Interlocutory,  103,  108 
Judicial,  103 
Private,  103 
Silent  Members,  ioo 
Special  Committees,  Appointment,  43,  63 
Discharge,  64;  Members,  64 
Expenses,  65,  66 
List  of,  with  members,  66-73 
Resolutions,  printing  of,  30 
Time  for  Reports,  64;  Vacancies,  64 
Speeches,  limits  of,  97,  100 
Prolix,  102 

Standards.  See  Amendments. 

Standing  Committees,  Election  of,  43 
Chairmen,  44 
Duties,  45 

Members,  number  of,  43 
Members,  selection  of,  43 
Names,  42 

Papers,  distribution  of,  44;  return  of,  45 
Reference  of  recommendations  in  Reports, 
Standing  Committees, 

Reports,  Contents,  63 
Time  allowance,  62 
Standing  Orders  and  Rules,  106 
Suspension  of,  105 
Stated  Clerk,  Appointment,  28 

Constitutional  Provisions,  28 
Duties,  28-32,  80 
Financial  System,  78-83 


INDEX 


127 


Subject,  Vote  on  given  at  time  named,  100 
Substitute  Motion,  98 
Suspension  of  Rules,  105 
Sustentation.  See  Relief. 

Synodical  Records,  Action  on,  when  not  present,  62 
Committee  on,  Duties,  59 
Complaints  and  Appeals,  62 
Exceptions  to,  61 
Forms  for  Reports,  60 
Synods,  Overtures  to  Assembly,  47 
Synods,  Printed  Minutes,  62 

See,  also,  Synodical  Records. 

Tellers,  ioi 
Temperance,  Board  of, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Temperance,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  55 
Day  and  hour  for  Report,  55 
Theological  Seminaries,  Standing  Committee,  Duties,  52 
Statistical  exhibit,  52 
Theological  Seminaries,  Names,  76,  77' 

Special  Committee  to  Visit,  70 
Treasurer  of  the  Assembly,  32,  78 
See  Financial  System. 

Trustees  of  the  Assembly, 

Business  Regulations,  34 
Election,  33 

Unfinished  Business,  96 

Universal  Conference  of  Church  of  Christ  on  Life 
and  Work,  Representatives,  72,  73 

Vacancies,  in  Committees,  108;  in  Boards,  75;  in  Judi¬ 
cial  Commission,  20;  in  Executive  Commission,  8 
Vacancy  and  Supply,  Permanent  Committee, 

Officers.  See  Cover. 

Vice- Moderator,  27,  94 
Vote,  Casting,  Moderator,  95 
Division  on,  101 
Equally  divided,  23,  95 
Excused,  100,  1 12 


128  MANUAL  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

Vote,  Judicial  Committee  may,  104 

Members  not  to  decline  to,  100 
Mistake  in,  112 
Moderator,  95 
Personal  interests,  no 
Retaken,  112;  Rising,  101 
Silent  members,  100 
Taking  the,  100 
Tellers,  112 

The  time  named,  on  a  given  subject  at,  100 
To  suspend  rules,  105 
Yeas  and  nays,  101 

Withdrawal,  Committees,  108 
Members,  103 
Moderator,  25,  26 
Motions,  97 

Woman's  Board,  Home  Missions, 

Officers.  See  Cover 

Work  on  Continent  of  Europe,  Special  Committee, 
Members,  71 

World  Alliance  of  Reformed  Churches,  88 

List  of  American  Churches  in  Alliance,  89 

Worship,  Closing  services,  105 
Other  services,  85 


Yeas  and  Nays,  ioi 


4.  Woman’s  Board,  otf  Foreign  Missions. 

President — Miss  Margaret  E.  Hodge. 

General  Secretary — Mrs.  Charles  K.  Roys. 

Treasurer-—  Miss  Lucy  Lepper- 

Office— Presbyterian  Building,  156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

5.  Publication  and  Sabbath-school  Work. 

President— Mr.  Franklin  E.  Sheppard. 

Secretary — Rev.  Harold  McAfee  Robinson,  D.D. 

Editor — Rev.  John  T.  Faris,  D.D. 

Superintendent  of  Missions — Mr.  John  M.  Somerndike. 

Business  Superintendent — Mr.  Frank  M.  Braselman. 

Treasurer — Mr.  Marshall  S.  Collingwood. 

Manufacturer — Mr.  Henry  F.  Scheetz. 

Office — 'Witherspoon  Building,  1319  Walnut  Street,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa. 

6.  Church  Erection  Fund 

President — Rev.  Ford  C.  Ottman,  D.D. 

Corresponding  Secretary — Rev.  David  G.  Wylie,  D.D.,  EE.D. 
Treasurer- — Rev.  George  Rutger  Brauer. 

Field  Secretary — Rev.  Jesse  C.  Bruce,  D.D. 

Office — Presbyterian  Building,  156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

7.  Ministerial  Relief  and  Sustentation. 

President — Rev.  George  Francis  Greene,  D.D. 

General  Secretary — Rev.  Henry  B.  Master,  D.D. 

Associate  Secretaries — Rev.  Robert  Hunter,  D.D.,  Rev.  Wm. 
S.  Holt.  D.D.,  KK.D. 

Treasurer — Rev.  William  W.  Heberton,  D.D. 

Office — Witherspoon  Building,  1319  Walnut  Street,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa. 

8.  Freedmen. 

President — Rev.  Samuel  J.  Fisher,  D.D. 

Corresponding  Secretary  and  Treasurer — Rev.  John  M.  Gaston, 
D.D. 

Office — 513  Bessemer  Building,  Sixth  Street,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

9,  Temperance  and  Moral  Welfare. 

President — Rev.  Thomas  Watters,  D.D. 

General  Secretary — Rev.  Charles  Scanlon,  L,L,.D. 

Assistant  Treasurer — Miss  Anna  M.  Wycoff. 

Office — Columbia  Bank  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


10.  General  Board  of  Education. 

President — Rev.  Hugh  T.  Kerr,  D.D. 

General  Secretary — Rev.  Edgar  P.  Hill,  D.D.,  KE.D. 

Associate  Secretaries — Rev.  William  H.  CroThers,  D.D.,  Rev. 
Frederick  E.  Stockwell,  D.D.,  M.  Willard  Lampe,  D.D., 
Ph.D.,  Rev.  W.  O.  Buschgen. 

Field  Secretary — Rev.  James  E.  Clarke,  D.D.,  EE.D. 

Treasurer — Mr.  Edward  R.  StereETT. 

Office — Presbyterian  Building,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York, 
N.  Y. 


VII.  PERMANENT  COMMITTEES. 

Permanent  Committee  on  Evangelism. 

Chairman — Mr.  Charles  L,.  Huston. 

General  Secretary  and  Treasurer — Rev.  George  G.  Mahy,  D.D. 
Office — 825  Witherspoon  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Permanent  Committee  on  Men’s  Work. 

Chairman — Henry  P.  Crowell. 

General  Secretary — Rev.  William  F.  Weir,  D.D. 

Office — Room  1702,  17  North  State  St.,  Chicago,  Ill. 


Permanent  Committee  on  Vacancy  and  Supply. 

Chairman — Rev.  George  N.  Luccock,  D.D. 

Corresponding  Secretary — Rev.  Walter  H.  Huston,  D.D.* 
Office — White-Haines  Bldg.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 


Permanent  Committee  on  Sabbath  Observance. 
Chairman — Rev.  H.  H.  McQuilkin,  D.D. 

Secretary — Rev.  H.  L,.  Bowlby,  D.D. 

Treasurer — Columbia  Trust  Company,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 
Office — 156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


The  Presbyterian  Magazine. 

The  Presbyterian  Magazine  is  published  monthly  under  the 
authority  of  The  General  Assembly  by  the  Boards  and  Agencies 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  The  Editor  is  Rev. 
James  H.  Snowden,  D.D.,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City, 
N.  Y.  The  Publisher  is  Horace  P.  Camden,  1328  Chestnut 
Street,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  The  subscription  price  is  $1 
a  year.  Foreign  postage,  36  cents.  Ten  cents  a  copy.  Change 
of  address  must  be  received  by  the  first  of  the  month  preceding 
the  date  of  issue. 


Department  of  Publicity. 

The  Publicity  Department  of  the  Assembly  is  under  the 
direction  of  a  committee  of  the  Executive  Commission.  The 
Director  is  Mr.  Walter  I.  Clarke,  and  the  office,  Presbyterian 
Building,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


Home  Mission  Council. 

1.  The  Home  Mission  Council  is  “a  part  of  the  administra¬ 
tive  scheme  of  the  General  Assembly  for  Home  Mission  Work.” 

The  members  of  the  Council,  who  are  chosen  by  the  Synods, 
are  arranged  in  three  classes,  and  the  term  of  service  is  three 
years.  The  Council  meets  annually,  on  the  Friday  preceding 
the  opening  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  in  the  city  where  the 
Assembly  is  to  meet. 

Reports  its  findings  to  the  Assembly.  The  President  of  the 
Council  is  a  corresponding  member  of  the  Assembly. 


*  Deceased 


